Child of the Damned
by Britt Marieee
Summary: Clare has a new start when she moves into her new house. A house with a long, horrible past. A past that effects her life greatly.
1. Chapter 1 : Discovering Home

Clare Edwards took a deep breath before she entered her new house. She carried a small bag with her, her important belongings. Such as her journal and a small necklace her father had given her on her 7th birthday. Her other belongings were in the moving van outside.

"What do you think Clare-Bear?" Clare's mother asked as she walked through the door and stood next to her.

Clare looked around. The house was large. There were 10 rooms and 6 baths. The interior was beautiful, elegant. Diamond chandeliers hung from the ceilings, crown molding wrapped around the walls. The furniture was covered in plastic and the plastic had inches of dust collected on it. But, even with all the beauty, the house gave Clare an eerie feeling. But she liked it.

"It's great mom. Really great."

Helen, her mother smiled. She was a historian. This house was history it's self. Once owned by a very powerful family back in the 60s. A tragedy struck the family and they ended up moving and leaving the beautiful house alone for about 50 years. No one had dared to move into, or knock down the house. The house brought bad luck, many have told the two. But they didn't care. Superstitions are for the uneducated.

"Why don't you go explore? Find your new room? I'll wait for the movers to come and help me bring in the rest of the boxes." Helen told her daughter.

Clare smiled and thanked her mother. She rushed upstairs to the second floor. A long hall way of door appeared in front of her. Walking down the hall she peered into each room. They were all very big, but one stuck out to her. It was the last door on the right. It was smaller than the others. It had a warm feeling to it, but it still possessed an eerie quality. This was her room. She placed her bag on the king sized bed and smiled.

It took the movers about 2 hours to get all of the Edwards' belonging into the house. It took twice as long to organize the boxes into living room, kitchen, and bedroom piles. They still haven't unpacked yet. They decided to start tomorrow. Clare's mother deiced to order pizza, so the two where currently sitting at the dining room table.

"Mom?" Clare asked as she dropped her napkin on her paper plate. "Can I see those newspaper articles about the house, later?"

Helen nodded "Of course."

Helen picked up her plate, as well as Clare's and threw it out. Removing her wedding band, she washed her hands.

It has been 5 years since Clare's father had passed away, but her mother still wore her ring. Randall, Clare's father, was her one true love. Dead or alive, her mother still loved him. Clare knew she would never remarry and she was fine with that. She and her mother were fine and happy.

Helen walked over to a box and opened it, after rummaging around she pulled out a folder and handed it to Clare.

"Those are all the articles I have." Clare took them and walked down a hallway into the large living room. She pushed the plastic off the couch and settled into the plush cushions. Clare flipped open the folder and looked through it. She found an article about the old owners; Clare closed the folder and placed it on the ground.

_**Loss of a Goldsworthy**_

_Last night, February 13__th__ 1956, Charles Goldsworthy, of Goldsworthy Enterprises, confirmed that his youngest son, Elijah Christopher Goldsworthy passed away that morning. Elijah was born March 18, 1949. He was youngest of 7 children. Harold, Elizabeth, Marianne, Jeffery, Katrina and Felicity are his 6 brothers and sisters. Elijah attended East Port High, a private school for boys. He was an exquisite writer; one of his poems was featured in a magazine two year ago. His family has kept the cause of his death out of the media. Melinda Goldsworthy, Charles's wife and Elijah's mother, released a statement last night as well._

"_The cause of our son's tragic death will not be publicized, out of respect for Elijah, himself."_

_Elijah's funeral will be held at St. Patrick's church February 17, 1956. All are welcome._

Clare had read the article before, but it still had the same effect on her as the first time. She was upset. When I boy died he was only a year older than Clare. The boy was 16 when he died. His 17th birthday was just around the corner. It was sad, and sickening. She put the article back into the folder and closed it. She didn't want to read any of the other newspaper articles about the boy. They'd only upset her more.

Clare decided to turn in for the night. She walked up the stairs and down the hall. Her mother had picked the largest bedroom to be her's. It was about four doors away from Clare's, but on the right side. As she passed it, Clare gently pushed it open.

"Goodnight mom." Helen looked up from her book. She smiled.

"Goodnight sweet heart." Helen replied. Clare closed the door and made her way down the hall into her room. Her bag, which she had placed on the bed, had fallen to the ground. She bent down and picked it up. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something black move. She quickly spun around, to find nothing, other than a empty bookshelf. She shook her head.

"You're going crazy, Clare." She smiled to herself. Taking sheets and a blanket out of a box, she made her bed. She changed into her pajamas and grabbed her journal.

She began writing her about her daily life a few months after her father passed. Clare's father had been an author. Clare's father's books, for the most part, were about life in different European countries. So the Edwards family traveled a lot. Which Clare didn't mind. She loved to travel. To visit different countries and learn about their daily life and culture.

.

.

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Today is Clare's first day at Merryweather High. Helen dropped her off at the front door and gave her a kiss and the cheek.

"Have a good day."

Clare smiled. "I'll try."

Apparently the kids at Merryweather High love gossip, because the moment to walked into the school she heard

"That's that Edwards girl."

"She just moved into Goldsworthy Manor."

"She _must_ be crazy."

"Do you think she knows?"

Clare walked fast through the halls trying to find her homeroom. When she finally found room 134, she sat down in a chair.

Kids began to come in little after little. A boy sat down next to her. He wore baggy clothes and a navy beanie on top of his head. He made a quick side glance at Clare before swiveling in his seat an offering his hand.

"Hi I'm Adam."

Clare shook his hand and smiled. "Clare."

Adam smirked. "Ah, so you are the new "crazy" girl everyone is talking about."

Clare arched her eyebrow. "Why are people calling me crazy?" Clare asked.

Adam laughed. Clare looked at him, her expression not shifting. Adam stopped laughing.

"Oh you're serious?" He asked, slightly embarrassed.

Clare nodded.

"Well you're _living_ at Goldsworthy Manor." Adam said.

Clare shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, so?"

Adam's eyes widened. "Goldsworthy Manor is _legendarily _haunted."

Clare laughed out loud.

"That's it? That's why people are calling me crazy? Because of a bunch of little kid ghost stories? That's hilarious."

Adam arched an eyebrow. "You don't believe in ghosts?"

Clare shook her head. "Never had, never will."

**Please review (:**

**Oh and if you haven't come this the conclusion yet, this story is OOC **


	2. Chapter 2: Thoughts and Poems

**OOC means Out Of Character. As in the story won't follow the plot of Degrassi and the characters won't act as they do on the show. And thank you to everyone that reviewed! (:**

Merryweather High was not a school of accepting people. The students went out of their ways to make sure they were not walking next to Clare, or sitting next to her. It was as though she carried a deadly disease, but she wasn't. She simply moved into a new house. These people are completely over reacting. On the bright side, there was one welcoming person at Merryweather. Adam. He took Clare under his wing and showed her around the school. He showed her where all her classes where, and who not to mess with, unless you like having a black eye. Clare was just happy they she had someone to turn to if she needed help.

"Do you need a ride?" Adam asked. Clare and Adam were walking down the main hallway of the school, the last bell had rung and they were on their way out.

"No I don't, my mom should be here any moment now. But thank you." Clare smiled.

"Okay, see you around Clare." He waved and walk towards a blue SUV.

Clare sighed and waited for her mother's arrival.

Helen pulled up to the school and Clare opened the door and stepped in.

"How was school?" She asked. Clare signed and ran a hand through her hair.

"It was okay. I made a friend. His name is Adam" She said. Helen smiled as she puled out of the school parking lot.

"That's good. Now Clare, I need to go back to work. I have to get organized. Do you mind staying home by yourself for a while? You could start unpacking your stuff. When I get home we can start on some of the other boxes."

Clare nodded. "That's fine mom. I should be okay."

Clare's mother dropped her off at the house and drove away. Clare walked up the stairs and into her room; she dropped her back pack on the floor and fell onto her bed. She closed her eyes and sighed. School sucked. The kids there were so horrible and judgmental, Clare hated it. Well, at least she found Adam. Clare opened one eye and spotted a box. She deiced that she better start unpacking.

She pulled out picture frames and books and lined them on the bookshelf. Clare loved to read, it was something she always liked. There was something about how she could fall into this completely different world that just pulled her in.

After finishing organizing her books, Clare decided to work on her clothes. She picked up another box and walked to the other side of her room, where her closet was. She opened the closet and began to empty her clothes. She hung them up on the rail, until something caught her eye. The back of the closet was made of wood, so the small outline of a door stood out.

Clare set down her clothes on the bed and walked towards to closet. She stepped into it and pushed the door outline. The wall moved, exposing a small staircase. Clare chuckled.

"You've got to be joking me. A secret staircase, really?"

Clare grabbed her cell phone off the night stand and pushed a bottom so the light turned on. She carefully walked down the stairs.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she looked around. She was in a small room. There was a black couch on the far corner that stood under a tall lamp. A wooden desk was pushed against the wall on the other side. Clare walked over the lamp at attempted to turn it on. She finally got it to work, the light was dim but it was enough for Clare to see.

She walked over to the desk and opened a few draws. Most were empty, containing dust and dirt. But one draw contained a notebook.

The notebook had a leather cover that was cracked and worn down. Clare's eye widened when she realized what was written on the notebook.

_The Thoughts and Poems of Eli Christopher Goldsworthy_

Clare couldn't believe her eyes. This was the boy's secret room. The 16 year old boy that had died all those years ago. Clare felt sick to her stomach. She quickly turned off the lamp and ran up the stairs, carrying the leather covered notebook.

When her mother came home, she didn't tell her about the stairs or the notebook. She wanted to learn more about it before she went off and told everyone.

After Clare and her mother had dinner, they unpacked some boxes. The kitchen was almost finished. Helen told Clare she could go relax, so she did. Clare ran up to her room and grabbed the notebook. She opened it up to a random page.

_August 3__rd__ 1955_

_I asked my dad if I could transfer to the public school here in Empirevillie, Merryweather High. Dad told me no and that I should be thankful that I go to East Port. Why should I be thankful that I go to school with a bunch of self-centered kids? They don't like me. Either do the teachers. I can tell. I know they talk about me with each other. I told Felicity about the people at East Port. She said that she could go talk to them if I wanted. I don't think I want her to though. She might end up making them hate me more than they already do. She asked me why I think they hate me. I know why. It's because of how I act. All the kids there walk around like they own the place because they parents are millionaires My parents are too. But I just don't go around gloating about it like they do. If I had the choice, my parents wouldn't be millionaires. They would be normal people. So I could be normal. My parents just don't understand. Either do my brothers and sisters. Well, Felicity's an exception. Sometimes I think she's the only person that truly cares about me. _

Clare closed the book. She took a deep breath and placed it on the nightstand.

_That's enough for tonight. _ Clare thought. She pulled down the blankets on her bed and got into it.

.

.

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Clare opened her eyes the next morning to a ray of sunlight peeking though the curtains on the window. She smiled and sat up.

Her smile was quickly faded away. Clare tried to scream for her mother, but nothing came out.

Sitting on her dresser across from the bed, was a boy. He had long, dark brown hair that hung in front of his bright green eyes. He was wearing a back t-shirt, dark jeans and black converse sneakers. A silver necklace hung from his neck. In his hand lay the leather notebook. He jumped down from the dresser. When his feet met the floor, Clare heard no sound.

"W-Who… What are you doing in my house?" Clare's voice quivered. She didn't yell for her mom because she didn't want to anger the boy standing a few feet away.

The boy chuckled. "Your house? I think you're mistaken." He walked, almost glided across the room to the end of her bed. "This is _my_ house."

Clare's eyes widened in realization.

"You're Elijah, ar-aren't you?"

The boy smirked. "Two points for the red- head."


	3. Chapter 3 : The Vanishing Act

**I love reviews (: Thank you to everyone who reviews. And thank you to those who show me my grammar errors (:**

Clare couldn't speak. She couldn't move. She could barely breathe. In front of her stood a boy that has been dead for 55 years. This couldn't be happening.

Clare pinched her skin, Elijah rolled his eyes.

"You aren't dreaming." His voice echoed. Clare didn't believe him. She pinched her skin again, harder this time.

"Would you stop that?" He asked. Clare pulled her hand away from her arm.

"You're supposed to be dead." Clare stated bluntly.

"Yes I am. But as you can see I am not _completely_ dead." He fiddled with the black notebook.

"You know, I was going to give you and your mom a few weeks to realize that you shouldn't be living here. But last night, when you rudely read my personal thoughts, I decided I'd better tell you face to face." He sat down on the bed. Clare's bed didn't move; it was as though he was weightless. Clare pulled the covers up closer to her face.

Elijah looked her in the eyes. "I want you to leave. This is my house."

"My mother bought it. The house is ours." Clare said, her confidence began to build. Elijah scoffed.

"I could really careless if you bought it or not. No one lives in this house, but a Goldsworthy. I thought you knew that, or didn't you listen to the kids at your school?"

Clare was taken aback. "How do you know what the kids at school tell me?"

"I followed you to school yesterday; I wanted to know what those idiotic children would tell you about my house." Elijah said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Clare gulped. "You followed me to school? I-I didn't see you."

"Well of course you didn't. I can control who can see me and who can't."

Clare jumped out of her bead, realizing how stupid she was being. Someone can't just come back from the dead. "You aren't real."

"Yes, yes I am. I believe the correct term is ghost, or spirit. Which ever you prefer. I'm not picky."

Clare didn't know what to say.

"Oh that's right. You don't believe in ghost do you?"

Clare picked up some clothes and walked out of the room and into the bathroom. She turned on the light.

"You can't get rid of me." Clare jumped and looked to her left. Elijah smirked.

"What do you want, Elijah?" Clare asked.

"Please, it's Eli. And I already told you. I want you and your mother to leave my house."

Clare looked at the boy. She lifted her hand up to his face and tried to touch it. Her hand didn't touch something solid. It went into the side of his face and out the other.

"You really are a…"

"You thought I was lying?"

Clare didn't speak. Her throat was locked. He was really a_ ghost._ She looked down at his hands. He was still holding the leather notebook. If only she hadn't read it. If only she hadn't gone down the stairs into the little room. If only she had minded her own business, she wouldn't be here, being confronted by a _ghost._

Eli stood next to Clare as she stared at him. Hey eyes looked over his undead body. He noticed how he was slightly transparent. He didn't look like a ghost. Well the ones that they show in movies. He looked like a regular boy, a regular boy that has really fare skin.

He was beautiful. Clare admitted to herself. She thought about the paragraph that Eli wrote, about people not liking him. She didn't know how someone could not like him. His eyes…were hypnotizing. Clare didn't know someone's eyes could be so green.

"Do you mind me asking how you died?" Clare whispered. She wasn't even sure if Eli had heard her.

"Yes. I do mind. That's my business." He said

Clare blushed out of embarrassment. "Sorry. It's just…all the articles that I've read; never go into detail about anything that has to do with the way you died."

"Well that's because my parents didn't want people to know. Now, I just asking you to leave with in the next two weeks, and we can all be happy." He quickly changed the topic.

"I'm not leaving…" Clare said.

"That's not the smartest idea. I may be a ghost. But I can still hurt you."

"I'm not leaving until I find out every detail about your death." She spoke with so much confidence; Clare convinced herself that she wasn't petrified of the undead boy next to her. "So you could save us some time and just tell me now."

Eli chuckled. "Why would I do that? You'd just go sell the story to some newspaper."

"They wouldn't believe me. I mean, what proof do I have? Other than 'The ghost in my house told me.'"

Eli though for a moment. He could tell her about his death and she would leave him and his house alone. The idea was intriguing. But he decided against it.

"No. I'm not telling you. I'm giving you two weeks to leave."

Clare went to respond, but she was too late. Eli had vanished. Clare looked at herself in the bathroom mirror; she ran a hand through her hair.

She had just talked to a ghost.

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.

Clare couldn't concentrate in school that day. All she could think about was Eli. She would frequently look around in class, trying to find a sign that would indicate that the boy was in her class again. But she found nothing.

The rumors at school have gotten worse. People said that Clare was practicing which craft and was trying to contact the ghost of Goldsworthy manor. Others said she had a "Six Sense." She could she ghosts.

_If they only knew._

Clare was happy that Adam hadn't abandoned her yet. She didn't know what she would do if he decided that being friends with the "Goldsworthy Girl" was to much to handle. She'd probably cry.

Adam invited Clare over to his house for some pizza after the big football game today. She accepted. Clare didn't feel like going back to her "haunted" house just yet.

No matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, it was just impossible. She was afraid was Eli. His words rang in her ears.

"_I may be a ghost. But I can still hurt you."_

Clare shuttered at the though of it. She didn't know how powerful he was. Heck, she didn't know practically **anything **about him; other than a little pit of his past. She could just tell her mom that she didn't want to live here. But that would mean she would never find out what happened to Eli. That would mean giving up. And the one thing an Edwards never does is give up.

**Oooooh. I don't know how I feel about this one. I think it sounded better in my head. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Chapter 4 : Hearing Voices

**Seriously, when you guys review, I get 10 times as happy. So thank you bunches :) **

Merryweather won 24-14. Although Clare wasn't the biggest football fan, actually she didn't know a thing about the game, she enjoyed being there. People were less focused on her and more on the game.

Adam's house was definitely not as big as Goldsworthy Manor. But it was still beautiful. Clare admired the fine detail that made up the house. Her favorite part of the house was the wrapped around porch. She's always wanted one of those.

Clare wanted to be an architect when she got older. That was probably why she picked Goldsworthy Manor as her and her mother's new home. Helen had given Clare the privilege of picking their next house. Clare picked Goldsworthy Manor, and her mother fell in love with the idea. Clare knew she would, she _is _a historian after all.

Clare hoped that this move would be the last. Since her father died, the two have moved a total of 8 times. Each time Clare had to leave her friends and her life. It hurt her to know she would never see them again.

"Clare, Adam told me you just moved here a few days ago. How do you like Empireville?" Adam's mother handed her a paper plate and motioned for her to help herself to the multiple pizzas on the kitchen counter.

"I really like it." Clare smiled as she placed a piece of pizza on her plate. "I'm hoping to go exploring this weekend, after I finish unpacking."

"_Or start repacking."_

Clare gulped. She knew that voice, it was Eli's.

She looked around, wondering if the Torres family had heard him. Luckily they didn't

"I could go with you, if you wanted me to." Adam said.

Clare smiled. "That would be great." She walked over to the table and sat own next to Adam.

"_They can't hear me, Clare. I can control who hears me also."_

Clare tried to ignore Eli. She listened to the conversation that Adam and his brother Drew were having.

"_I know its annoying you, Clare. Not being able to know where I am, but being able to see me."_

Clare ignored him again, bringing the pizza to her lips, she bit into it.

Clare wanted to know where he was. But she didn't want to give Eli that satisfaction of being right. So she did her best to listen to Adam and not to him.

"_I know what you're doing. You're trying to ignore me."_

Clare took another bite of pizza.

"_If you'd just move out of my house, I'd leave you alone."_

Clare took a sip of her soda.

"_Meet me in their bathroom."_

Clare froze, Should she go? Should she stay? She didn't know what to do.

Clare leaned over and whispered in Adam's ear. "Where's your bathroom?"

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.

Clare entered the bathroom cautiously. Turning on the light, she was him again. Eli was leaning against the bathroom wall.

"I see you haven't told your mom you want to leave." Eli said as we walked towards Clare. Clare backed up a little.

"Obviously." She crossed her arms a cross her chest. "And I don't plan on telling her I want to leave because I don't plan on leaving. That is unless you want to tell me about your death."

Eli huffed. "Are you still on that?"

"Why did you tell me to come to the bathroom?"

"Well it seems that we have productive conversations while in the bathroom."

Clare rolled her eyes.

"I'm just asking out to leave. That's all I want. I want you and your mother to leave my house. It's that simple Clare."

"I never told you my name." Clare arched an eyebrow.

"I found it out."

"How?"

Eli lifted a notebook from behind his back and smirked.

"Well this helped."

Clare gasped. "That's my journal! You read my journal?" Eli tossed the green journal from one hand to the other.

"Yes I did. You read mine. So it only seemed fair."

"I only read _one_ entry. How much did you read?" Clare asked angrily.

"The whole thing." Eli lifted an eyebrow, waiting for her response. He knew it would piss her off. That's what he wanted. He wanted to get her mad at him. If she was mad, she would leave.

"You _ass."_ Clare grabbed the journal out of his hands. "This holds my all my secrets and you read it!"

"My notebook holds secrets too. But that didn't stop you from reading mine."

"I thought you were dead for crying out loud. I didn't think it would matter if I read a dead boy's notebook." Clare turned around and placed a hand on the door knob. Before she could push it open Eli spoke.

"Clare, I'm sorry I read your notebook. If it makes you feel better, I'll give you mine so you can read it."

Eli wanted her to leave his house, but reading her journal might have been a little much. She had a point, she thought he was dead.

Clare blinked and turned back to Eli. "Are you serious?"

"Yes I am."

Clare smiled and walked out of the bathroom and down the hall, back to the kitchen.

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When Clare got home, she walked up to her room. On her bed was the black notebook. She smiled to herself. Eli had kept his promise. She quickly jumped on the bed and opened the book to a random page.

_September 19__th__ 1955_

_Felicity gave me an early Christmas present. A secret room. She said that she has been working on it for a while, mostly when I wasn't home, seen as the room's entrance is in my closet. She told me it's for when I want to be alone. When I don't want people disturbing me. I don't know how she made it. She had to of had some help. There was no way possible that my sister could have made that by herself. But I didn't ask questions. I told her how much it meant to me. She was happy that I liked it. I'm sitting down here right now. Felicity helped me bring down a desk so I could write down here. It's kind of cold, but I'm not complaining. We have to go to a dinner tonight. I hate those things, they're boring. I'm 16 not 50. I could care less about whose getting inducted as the new Empireville traffic police. I'd rather be here. But I have no say it what I do. My parents do though._


	5. Chapter 5: Questions Not Answered

**Again, thank you for all the reviews. I made a twitter its /Britt_Marieee. So follow me for updates about stories such or if you want to ask me a question. **

**Thanks :)**

Clare ran her fingers over the words of Eli's journal. He was definitely a different person when he was alive. He was much more sensitive than he was now.

_I guess that's what death does to you._ Clare thought.

Clare wondered what it would be like to be a ghost. To be able to see the world changing around you, but not be able to enjoy it. To be stuck on earth with no point but to suffer in silence. Being a ghost must be Eli's personal hell.

But wasn't there a reason why Eli was a ghost. There had to be a reason why is spirit didn't cross over when he died. Clare wondered why. Clare flipped the page of the notebook.

_September 22, 1955_

_Felicity left for college today. She left me. I'm all alone now. I asked her to stay. I asked her if she could go to college next semester. She told me that she would if she could. But she can't. She kissed my forehead before she left and said she would call and write to me everyday. I told her the same. She left me her book collection. She said she won't be able to read that much now that she's in collage. I'm reading a collection of short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. My favorite is __Tell Tale Heart.__ It's a twisted story, but Poe was a twisted guy._

Clare didn't know what it is like to have a sibling. She was an only child. She used to wish that she had one when she was younger. She wanted a little sister to play with, to fight with, and to love. But she never got one. Clare liked how close Eli was to his sister Felicity. It showed her how loving he could be. Clare flipped the page.

_September 23, 1955_

_Mom decided that I need help. She thinks I'm to unsocial, to distant. She complains that I about how I have no friends. She's tried to help me make friends before. She would purposely make me and some of the self-centered jerks from East Port sit together; at dinners that my father would host for the rich and famous. But I just don't get along with those types of people. I've tried to explain this to her, but she just doesn't get it. _

Clare flipped the page.

_September 25, 1955_

_I helped Martha make dinner today. Martha is our housekeeper. She cleans, does laundry, and cooks. She taught me how to make her family's secret recipe for spaghetti sauce. She said that she trusted me not to go and tell everyone the secret. I laughed and said I didn't really know anyone to tell it too. The secret of her spaghetti sauce is that she uses tomato soup. When it was finished we both tried it. She told me that it was the best batch of sauce she's ever had. I think she might have exaggerated, but the complement felt good. Martha told me that I'd make a good husband someday. I told her that I don't think I'm the good husband type. She laughed and said I was funny. Funny, other quality I didn't know I possessed. Mom should be proud of me. Martha said I can help her with dinner anytime I want. She likes cooking with __**friends.**__ That's right mom. I made a friend. _

"Is it everything you hoped for?" Clare looked up from the notebook. Eli stood at the end of her bed with his hands in his pockets.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Clare asked playfully.

Eli smirked. "What's the fun in that?"

Clare rolled her eyes and stood up off her bed. She placed the book on her nightstand and walked over to her vanity. She ran a brush through her hair then sat it back down the table. She looked up at Eli and smiled.

"You have interesting thoughts." Clare said.

"Which ones did you read?"

"What? You weren't secretly watching me the whole time?" Clare asked

"Unlike you, I know what privacy is." Eli retorted.

Clare huffed. "I read September 19th, 22nd, 23rd and 25th."

"Martha was a nice person. She made one hell of a chicken parmesan." Eli said

Clare sifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Do um…Does anyone else no you're a, uh, ghost?"

Eli shook his head. "Just you. Consider yourself privileged."

"Well if only I know, why do the kids at school say this place is haunted?" Clare asked.

Eli sat down on Clare's bed and then lay down.

"Every once and awhile some kid decides he wants to break into my house. I just give him little scare and then he's on his way."

"What do you mean a little scare?" Clare asked again.

"I'd throw something at them."

"Eli!"

Eli smirked. "What? It wouldn't actually hit them. It would just sort of fall next to them. Then they would get freaked out and leave."

"Have you every visited your family?" Clare questioned.

Eli sat up. "What is this? 20 questions?"

Clare bit her bottom lip. "Sorry. I'll stop. You can ask me something, if you want."

Eli intertwined his fingers. He thought for a minuet. "Why do you talk to me? I mean yeah I confronted you first. But you keep talking to me. Why is that?" Eli asked.

Clare was caught off guard by the question.

"I guess it's just because, deep down you seem like a nice person, I mean spirit thing, ghost." Clare stumbled upon her words, making her blush.

Eli chucked. "Do I make you nervous, Clare?"

'

Clare was about to answer him when she heard her mother call from downstairs.

"Clare, I'm home! Do you want to help me make dinner?" Clare heard her mother yell from the bottom of the stairs.

"Sure I'll be right down!" Clare looked at Eli.

"Care to join me for dinner? I mean I know you don't eat, but you could watch me and my…I'm just going to stop talking now." Clare's blush redden.

Eli smiled. "I'd love to stay. But I have ghostly business to take care of." With that, Eli vanished.

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.

.

"You haven't eaten a lot of your dinner, Clare. Are you sick sweetie?" Helen asked noticing how little Clare has eaten.

"Oh no. I'm just not that hungry. Adam invited me over to his house after the football game today, we had some pizza." Clare said.

"Oh okay. Adam is that boy in your homeroom right? That was nice of him." Helen said cutting into her steak.

"Yes it was."

Clare couldn't stop thinking of what Eli had asked her.

"_Do I make you nervous, Clare?"_

The truth was, he did. It wasn't that fact that he was a ghost. It was the fact that he was a boy. A undead boy, but still a boy. And he was in her room, laying on her bed, talking to her. It made her nervous as hell.


	6. Chapter 6 : Secrets and Such

Dinner went on as usual. Clare's mother talked about her day and all the troubles she has been having at work. Clare listened and nodded every so often so her mother knew she was listening. Well sort of listening. She played with the food on her plate. Mixing the potatoes with her carrots, trying her best to entertain herself.

"Clare?" Clare looked up from her plate to see her mother's brown eyes.

"What?" Clare set her fork down and intertwined her fingers, setting her hands on the table.

"Well, it's becoming quite lonely, you and me in this big house. And I was thinking, actually I have been thinking about this for awhile. B-But that's beside the point." Helen stumbled upon her words.

Clare inwardly smiled. She always knew she was a lot like her mother. Stuttering and stumbling when they got nervous was one of the many traits that the two shared.

"Anyways. I was thinking that, I would start looking into adopting a child." Helen locked eyes with her daughter. Waiting for a response.

Clare smiled. "I think that's an amazing idea, mom."

Helen nodded her head. "I think so too." She picked up her empty plate and Clare's plate and walked them over to the sink.

"I've always wanted a little sister." Clare said following her mother into the kitchen.

Helen smiled and looked at her daughter. "I know, you used to ask your father and me if Santa would be able to give you a little sister for Christmas." Clare's mother washed the plates and set them on the counter. Helen dried her hands on a towel.

"Do you still think about him, dad I mean?" Clare asked. She scuffed her foot against the floor.

"Of course I think about him. It's kind of hard not to. You look so much like him, Clare. Your eyes are exact replicas of his. I think of him every time you look at me. And when you laugh, all I can think of is your father laughing." Helen blinked to keep the tears that were growing in her eyes down.

"Mom…" Clare didn't know what to say. Her mother and she never had a real heart-to-heart conversation about her father. Clare and her mother were silent for a moment. Both of them afraid to cut the obvious, thick sheet of tension between the two.

"I'll pick up the rest of the table. Why don't you go finish your homework?" Helen turned back to the sink.

"Okay." Clare walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs into her room. She sat down on her bed and cried. Her body shook as she cried. Clare curled up onto her bed.

She missed her father. She missed him with every bone in her body. She wished he was here, with her. Clare wished he could come back from the dead and be with her. She wished he could have been like Eli. It was a selfish wish. But she wished he was here, even if it had to be in a form of his spirit. He would still be there with her. Even if he wasn't _fully _there.

Was this what Eli's family felt like? Did they feel like a part of their life was missing and they would never be able to get it back? Even though Eli portrayed his parents as being heartless people, Clare knew they had to have felt like Clare was feeling right now. There was no way they couldn't have. Eli was their child. Their own flesh and blood. Even if they didn't show it the much; Clare knew they must have loved him.

Clare used her sleeve to push her dried tears off of her face. She sat up and grabbed Eli's journal from her nightstand and opened it. She didn't want to read it. Eli's book seemed to calm Clare. Maybe it was the fact that 55 years ago Eli was sitting in the same room, holding the same notebook. Clare felt connect to something, to someone. The idea soothed her.

.

.

.

"Clare? Clare wake up."

Clare groaned. She knew that voice all to well, already. Her eyes flickered to the alarm clock.

"Eli, its 4 in the morning. I don't know if you remember this but humans need to sleep." Clare mumbled against her pillow.

"I know. Just I wanted to see if you're alright. I came back to the house last night and I heard you and your mom talking. I didn't want to ask you last night because you looked like you needed some privacy. I was going to wait until a little later this morning, but…" Eli was sitting on the side of her bed. He scratched the back of his neck as he waited for Clare to answer.

"I fine, Elijah." Clare stated.

"You don't sound fine." Eli responded.

"I'm really truly fine."

"Seriously Clare you-"

"Why do you care?" Clare snapped. She sat up in her bed. "I thought you just wanted me to leave your house. Or don't you remember, Eli?"

Eli huffed. "I don't know why I care." He stood up off of her bed and turned around.

Clare ran a hand through her hair. "Eli, I… Don't leave." She pushed the covers off of her.

"My dad died a few years ago. He was sick, really sick. The doctors tried everything they could, but he just wasn't strong enough. It's hard sometimes. To know he'll never see me graduate high school. He'll never be able to walk me down the aisle. He'll never be able to hold his grandchildren…" Clare looked down at her lap, her tears threatening to fall.

Eli watched her. He walked back to her bed. He sat down.

"Last night, you asked me if I ever visited any of my family. The truth is I do. I visit Felicity everyday. She's lives about a mile out of town. I've never revealed myself to her. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I wanted her to have a normal life. Well as normal as it could be. I was there was she was married. I went to her hospital bed after she gave birth to her first child. She named him Elijah Christopher. She had three other kids. They are all grown up now. They are having children of their own. I visited my other brothers and sisters too. But only a couple of times. Harold died a few months ago. I went to his funeral." Eli pushed some of his hair out of his eyes and sighed.

"T-Thank you. For telling me." Clare rubbed her eyes and rested her head back onto her pillow.

Eli lay next to her. "That's what friends are for, sharing secrets and such."

Clare smiled as she felt herself fall asleep. "You called us friends." She whispered.


	7. Chapter 7 : A Cliché

Clare woke up on the morning to find Eli not laying next to her. She hadn't expected him to stay. But if he did, she wouldn't have minded.

_He called us friends._

Clare inwardly smiled to herself as she got out of her bed and walked down stairs. Her mother was pouring herself some coffee when Clare entered the kitchen. She avoided looking her mother in the eye when she wished her a good morning. It wasn't as though they had a fight or they hated each other. The two just needed some space after their talk the other night.

Clare made her self a bowl of cereal and walked into the dinning room. She sat down and ate her breakfast. Clare looked up and admired the crystal chandelier. It sparkled and gleamed and just made Clare feel happy. She had always wanted a crystal chandelier. I many ways Goldsworthy Manor was her dream home. Elegant, beautiful, mysterious, it was like Clare's own little, twisted castle. She never would have imagined actually being able to live in a place quite as amazing. But here she was, eating Fruit Loops under an expense chandelier. Clare chuckled at the thought.

She and her mother were most defiantly not rich people. A few months after Eli's death, the house had gone on the market. No one _dared _to buy the house. So for 55 years it stayed with out an owner. Until Clare's mother bought it for a more than reasonable price.

"Clare? Would you like a ride to school?" Helen asked quietly as she peered into the dinning room. Clare swallowed her cereal and answered her mother.

"No, but thank you. I promised Adam I would ride the bus with him this morning." Clare smiled kindly at Helen.

"Okay. I won't be home until about 7 tonight." Helen fixed her earrings as she walked into the room. "The office called a few minuets ago. I really wonder how they survived all these years, with out my help." Helen smiled. Clare politely laughed. Clare's mother walked over to her and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Clare."

"I love you too."

With that, Helen left for work.

Clare picked up her mess and dumped it in the sink in her kitchen. She walked up stairs and into her room. She looked at the clock quickly.

_6:30_ the bright, red light flashed. She only had a half hour before she had to get to the bus stop.

Clare pulled open the door of her closet and glanced at her clothing options.

Growing up, Clare never had a title. She wasn't a Goth, or a prep, or a band geek. She didn't belong to the popular crowd. She was never a cheerleader or class president. She was simply Clare.

Last year Clare decided that she needed a title. So she made a title up for herself. She called herself an "Independent Variable." The title partly came from the fact that she was learning about how to properly conduct an experiment, in science at the time. An "Independent Variable" did not care what others thought. They dressed how they wanted to dress; talked to who they wanted to talk to, and hung out with the people they wanted to hang out with.

Clare put on a floral blue dress and slipped a jean jacket over it. She looked at her mirror and smiled in satisfaction.

She dumped her school books into her back pack. Glancing at Eli's journal she debated on weather or not she should risk bring it to school. After a few minuets of internal arguing, Clare grabbed her notebook and placed it gently into her bag.

.

.

.

The bus ride with Adam went rather quick. Seen as Adam talked the whole way to school. He talked about is brother and how annoying he has been lately. He talked about his collection of comic books and the new shampoo his mom bought for him. But Clare didn't mind him talking.

As the two entered the school, Adam pulled out something from his back pack.

"I'll see you homeroom. I have to go drop this off to the math teacher." Adam motioned to the green packet in his hand.

Clare nodded. "Okay I'll see you then."

Adam waved as he walked down the hall.

Clare took a deep breath before making her way down the crowed hallway. She dodged muscular football players and kissing couples as she zig-zagged her way through the ocean of people. She sighed in relief when she walked into the door of her homeroom.

She sat down in at an empty desk.

"Um…hey." Clare turned around in her seat to see and dark- blond haired boy smiling at her.

"I'm KC." KC extended his hand and Clare shook it. She knew who he was. He had science and study hall with her. Secretly she though he was sort of cute.

KC and Clare talked for a goon portion of homeroom. He was a nice guy. Clare found out that he played basketball and was a total science nerd. He was also _single._ Not that Clare wanted a boyfriend or anything.

.

.

.

Clare and Adam sat down in their seats for social studies. The teacher was always late, so Clare slipped Eli's notebook out of her back pack and opened it.

_September 27, 1955_

_I went to the book store today to see if they had received the new shipment of comic books. They didn't but today, __**she **__was there. Julia Hamilton. She sat on the ground, in front of the poems. A book was perched in her lap. Her bottom lip was stuck in between her two sets of teeth. Her blond hair was pulled back, showing off her brown eyes and they danced along the pages of her book. She was a sight to see. I kept my _

"Whatcha reading?" Clare stopped midsentence, she looked up and say Adam.

"A uh…book." She stuttered.

"What's it called?" Adam lifted the notebook slightly. He furrowed his eyebrows after he read the front.

"The Thoughts and Poems of Eli Christopher Goldsworthy?" Adam said, it was more of a question.

"Um…yeah." She gulped.

"Did you find that in your house, Clare?" Adam smiled.

Clare nodded.

"That could be worth loads of money." He said.

"I'd never sell it." Clare snapped.

Adam held up his hands. "I was just saying…"

When class started Clare put the notebook back into her bag. She got comfortable in her seat and prepared to listen to her teacher talk.

"_Boo!"_

Clare jumped when she saw Eli appear in next to her. She quickly looked around, wondering why anyone else wasn't paying attention to the Eli.

_Oh, that's right, Eli can control who sees and hears him._ Clare thought.

Eli smirked at her and motioned for her to move her notebooks. She place them on her lap. Eli hopped on the desk and moved around so that he was facing her, sitting Indian style. Clare ripped a piece of paper out of her notebook and grabbed a pen. She wrote:

**Way to be a cliché ghost, Eli. "Boo" seriously?**

Eli chuckled.

"I figured I should at least do that once."

Clare smirked and wrote again.

**So what brings you to my lovely school? Stalking me again perhaps? **

"Har. Har. No, actually I thought I would wish you a good morning. I left last night a lttle while after you feel sleep."

**Ghostly business?** Clare scribbled on the paper. She looked up at Eli and smirked.

Eli rolled his eyes.

Clare bit the cap of her pen.

"Something on your mind, Edwards?" Eli asked.

**Will you tell me about Julia?** Clare wrote slowly on the paper.


	8. Chapter 8 : Ice

Eli's eyebrows furrowed. "Julia Hamilton?"

Clare nodded.

Eli chuckled. "Julia was the girl that every guy wanted. She was beautiful and smart and just…perfect. And I fell hard for her. But she didn't know I existed." He shrugged. "But you know, that was when I was 16, a little kid."

Clare didn't think he was telling her everything about Julia. But she didn't want to push it. Clare scribbled on the paper. **You are technically still 16.**

Eli rolled his eyes. "_Technically_ I'm 71."

**Gross. You're old.** Clare smirked.

Before Eli could respond, he was interrupted by Clare's teacher.

"Ms. Edwards, would you please stop smiling at the air and start answering questions 1 to 8 on page 65?" Clare's teacher questioned. The class snickered. Clare blushed. Eli laughed.

Clare opened her textbook.

**You have to get off my desk, Eli. **She wrote. Eli jumped down from her desk and sat on the floor next to her desk. She quickly opened her notebook and started the questions. She quickly tried to answer the questions. She didn't want Eli to become bored and leave. She glanced at Eli. He was looking around the class, taking in his surroundings.

_It was probably new to him. _Clare thought. Public school was new to him. Boys and girls in the same class, the same school. Kids not wearing uniforms. He'd probably never seen anything like it before, well if you don't count a few days ago when he followed her to school.

Eli leaned over and scanned Clare's textbook.

"March in Washington." He said. "I watched that on TV."

He saw Clare roll her eyes. She scribbled on a piece of paper and placed it on the side of her desk.

**Ooooooo. Did you personally know Mr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Now THAT would be cool.**

"Shut up and do your work, Edwards."

Clare softly chuckled.

.

.

.

After social studies ended, Adam told Clare he would be leaving early to go to a dentist appointment. So he wouldn't be able to ride home with her on the bus. Clare said it was okay.

She picked up her books and put them in her bag. She looked over at Eli, who was standing next to her with his hands in his pockets. She wasn't sure what he was planning on doing.

"Mind if I hang with you for a bit? I have nothing to do today." He asked.

Clare nodded her head in response.

The two exited the class room and entered the hallway. Clare bit her lip as they walked down the hallway. His slightly transparent hand swung next to her pale, white one. What if someone walked through him? _Could _someone walk through him? These questions ran through her head.

Walking through the crowed hallways didn't seem to bother Eli. Clare watched as he gracefully made his way down the hall, scooting by people, avoiding people. He seemed so comfortable. It surprised Clare.

Clare wasn't a very social person. She mostly kept to herself. Making friends did not come easy to her. That was a characteristic that the two shared. Another one they shared would have to their stubbornness. Clare knew she wasn't going to back down. She was going to get Eli to talk about his death. To talk about everything that bothered him. If he did, if he trusted her, Clare could help him. She could help him figure out why he was here. Why he was stuck. Why he can't escape.

Clare led him into her next class. It was study hall. She was planning on reading his journal. But she wasn't so sure she was going to read it with Eli with her. It was easier to read his personal thoughts, when he wasn't with her.

She sat down in her assigned seat.

"You can sit there." Clare whispered as she pointed to the chair in front of her. She tucked her hair behind her ear as Eli sat down.

"What class are we in?" He asked.

"Study hall." She whispered.

"What are you supposed to do?" He asked.

"It's a free period. You can pretty much do anything. Well anything that you can do while sitting in your seat. They didn't have study hall in private school." Her voice was still low. No one was in the class yet, but she didn't want someone to walk in and hear her talking to nothing. That would be rather embarrassing.

Eli shook his head. "We never had a free period. We didn't even have a lunch period. We ate during one of our classes."

"Clare!" Clare looked at the door. KC smiled and waved. Clare waved back. He walked towards her and stood in front of her desk.

"Do you have your science book with you? I need to finish my homework." He asked.

Clare nodded and bent over to search her bag. KC fixed his hair and straightened his t-shirt when Clare wasn't looking. Eli's eyes narrowed at the dirty blonde.

_Stupid boy, trying to impress her. _Eli thought.

Clare sat up strait in her chair and handed KC the textbook.

"Thank you, Clare. And I forgot to tell you this morning but, that dress looks very beautiful on you." KC said.

Clare smiled. Eli made a gagging sound. Clare wanted to shoot him a glare, but KC was still there.

"Thank you KC." She said.

"You're welcome. I'll give you this back after class." He smiled and walked over to his seat.

"So what's pretty boy's name?" He asked.

Clare pulled out paper and a pen.

**KC. **

"Does he play football or something? He looks like a jock." Eli watched the tall boy flipped through Clare's textbook.

**Basketball. Why do you care?**

Eli shrugged.

"Just making conversation."

The truth was, he didn't like this KC character. He didn't know why. He just did.

He noticed his notebook his notebook in Clare's bag.

"You brought my journal to school?" He questioned.

**I was going to read it during study hall. But, my plans change. **She smiled, looking up at Eli. She saw something she never saw before, a small scar that stretched from the bottom of his left cheek to a little under his jaw line.

**How did you get the scar on your cheek? **Clare wrote.

Eli's hand immediately covered his scar. He pushed on hit slightly and closed his eyes. He was silent for what seem liked forever.

Clare wished she hadn't asked. She was about to change the subject when Eli spoke.

"The day at the book store, when I saw Julia. I got up the courage to go over and talk to her. I told her who I was and she said that she knew. He grandmother lived a little down the street. She saw me reading in my front yard sometimes. We talked about how much we loved the book store. We talked about the poem project her English teacher gave her. To me, it was like heaven. The girl I dreamed about was talking to me. I was just…amazing." Eli paused and ran his fingers over his scar. He looked as though he was lost in the memory.

Clare looked down at the paper in front of her. She didn't want to look at Eli to long. People might wonder what she was looking at.

"The next day I went to school. Tyler, Julia's older brother was waiting outside the school for me with a bunch of his moron friends. He said that he heard I was talking to his sister. He told me to keep my weird ass away from her. I said that she could talk to anyone she wanted to. Including weird asses. Tyler got pissed and him and his friends grabbed me and brought me to an alley by the school. They beat me up. They kicked me. Punched me. Broke me." He touched his scar again.

" When I could stand, couldn't breathe, one of Tyler's friends took a broken glass bottle and cut me, deep. He told me if I ever talked to Julia again, I'd be sorry. They left me there. I thought about Julia, how I really wanted to get to know her, to be her friend. That was all gone. I stayed there for a while and then crawled home. My mom was upset. I had a black eye and we were supposed have dinner with the mayor that night. She yelled at me for getting into a fight. She didn't even left me explain. God she was such a _bitch._" Eli's voice was angry yet hurt. His eyes turn cold.

"Eli?' Clare whispered.

"I have to go. See you later." Before Clare could do any, he was gone.


	9. Chapter 9 : Paper Flowers

"_Damn it."_ Clare mumbled into her hands. She shouldn't have pushed him. She should have asked him.

He was slowly letting her in to his world. To his tragic past. And Clare pushed to far. She wished she could have taken it back. But it was too late for that. He felt uncomfortable taking to her about his death. And that was the last thing Clare wanted him to feel.

She wanted Eli to trust her. She wanted him to reveal all his secrets to her, so that she could help him. If he told her what happened to him the night he died, Clare could help him find out why he was stuck on Earth. She hoped Eli was okay. She hoped he wasn't upset with her.

_He probably hates me now._ Clare thought. He was her _friend_. She didn't want him to hate her. He was one of the only friends she had.

"Clare?" A deep voice questioned. Clare looked up to find KC looking down at her, his brown eyes warm and welcoming. He smiled.

"Thanks for letting me borrow your book." He placed the textbook down on the desk in front of Clare. Clare forced a smiled and pulled the book into her lap. "It was no problem." Her voice was strained, as though she was about to start crying. KC noticed. His brown eyes softened.

"Clare…are you okay?" KC asked. He looked behind him quickly to see if the teacher was watching him. He wasn't, his face was buried in the morning newspaper. He sat down in the desk next to Clare.

Clare stiffened. She didn't know what to tell him. She most certainly wasn't going to tell him about Eli.

Well she didn't _have_ go into detail.

"I'm just concerned about my friend. He's… he's having some issues." Clare bit her bottom lip. KC nodded his head.

"Family problems?" KC asked.

Clare shook her head. "No, it's more on the personal level."

"Its normal to feel concerned about your friends. But anyone who is friends with you Clare _must _to be a strong person." He smiled. "He will be okay."

"I hope you're right." Clare whispered.

KC took out a piece of paper from his back pack. "If you ever want to talk to me, about anything…" KC scribbled down his number. "Just call me."

He handed the paper to Clare and stood up. The bell rang. KC waved goodbye before walking out the door.

Clare looked down at the paper in her hands. Next to his number KC wrote his name.

KC Hamilton.

Clare gasped. _"Hamilton." _She said the name out loud to no one in particular.

That was Julia and Tyler's last name.

.

.

.

Eli sat on the living room floor of Felicity's house. Felicity sat on a blue couch next to her husband, Joshua. She was knitting a sweater and Joshua was reading a book. The living room was tiny and warm.

The house was quiet except for the Elvis record that was softly playing in the background. These were the moments that Eli loved. Even though Facility and Joshua were not aware of his presents, Eli still felt safe.

He e Hlooked around the room. There were pictures everywhere. Mostly of family, some of landscapes. Felicity was a professional photographer before she retired a few years ago. When Eli was younger he loved looking through her pictures. It was as though every picture held a story. And every story was unique.

Above the fireplace, a picture of Eli sat on the mantel. It was black and white and only showed the side of his face. He never enjoyed having pictures taken of him. He didn't know why but when the camera was pointed at him, he felt uncomfortable. So, a picture with Eli in it was very rare.

Next to the picture of Eli was another one. This one was a picture of Felicity's children. She had four. Three boys and a girl. Elijah was the oldest. James and Damon were the middle children and also twins. Scarlett was the youngest and only girl.

Over the years Eli noticed that every birthday gift that Felicity has ever given was always a hand knitted piece of clothing. The sweater that she was knitting was burgundy. Each of her four kids, and there families had a special color. James's color was green. Damon's was burgundy. Scarlett's was dark purple and Elijah's was blue.

_Blue._

Blue like Clare's eyes. Eli mentally cursed at himself for thinking about her.

He thought about what happened earlier that morning. He hated how vulnerably he has become. It was sickening. He thought about how eerie he felt when the KC kid was talking to Clare. He felt as though someone dropped a house on his shoulders when KC was near him. He didn't know why he felt that way.

But then it hit him.

He finally figured out why he didn't like KC.

He looked like Tyler. He had the same dark blonde hair. The same brown eyes. The same smug little face.

Eli shut his eyes, trying to stop himself from think about the boy, from thinking about the night he died. But he couldn't.

_Eli pushed the heavy maple door of his father's office open. He stepped into the poorly lit room. His father was sitting behind a desk, his eyes rapidly reading a piece of paper is his hands. Other papers were scattered carelessly around the top of the large desk. Eli walked slowly towards his father._

_He and his father looked very much alike. They both had dark brown hair that made their bright green eyes stand out. They were both they same height and were built the same. They were both sort of scrawny, but Eli's father was a little chubbier than he was. Eli never knew that two people, who looked so much alike, could be so different._

"_Dad?" Eli asked as he approached the desk. His father made a noise in response, not looking up at him. Eli took that as a sign to continue. So he did._

"_I was wondering if I could walk down to the book store quickly." Eli bit his lip. He hated asking for his father's permission. He felt like a four year old. But if he didn't ask him, all hell would break loose._

_His father shook his head no. "Elizabeth and Felicity are coming home tonight. And we are also having dinner with some of my business partners tonight." His eyes never left the paper in front of him as he spoke._

"_I know, it's just that Lizzie and Felicity aren't going to be until 5:00 and we are having dinner at 6:00. It's only 3:30…can't I just go quickly?" Eli asked._

_His father squinted at the paper and then scribbled something on another piece of paper._

"_I already said no."_

"_Could you at least look at me when you're talking to me?" His voice rose. Eli's hands formed into fists._

_Eli's father finally looked up from his work. "Don't raise your voice at me Elijah. You're lucky I even let you go to that book store as it is. You're grades are horrendous. Your teachers say you don't pay attention during class. You're too busy writing in that God damned notebook!" _

"_If you let me go to the school I wanted to go to."_

"_Don't start with that Elijah. You're so difficult." He huffed. "You're brothers were never like this. Why can't you be more like Harold or Jeffery?"_

"_Harold and Jeffery weren't difficult because they didn't have minds of there own. You trained them to act exactly like you… I'm not a robot." Eli turned around and left the room, slamming the door behind him._

Eli was brought back to the present time by the sound of the front door opening. Felicity's granddaughter walked in, her eyes were red and puffy.

Felicity stood up to greet her.

As Eli watched he came to a conclusion. He never wanted relive the night he died. He never wanted to think about it again. Clare wanted to know, but he couldn't tell her. He wouldn't tell her.

Clare _had _to leave his house.

**I'm sorry about the POV change. I really didn't want to change it. But it was kinda important to the development of Eli. So I hope you don't mind. **

**Oh and Fun fact : This story was inspired by "Beautiful Disaster" By Kelly Clarkson and *cough* Casper meets Wendy *cough***

…

**I'm not joking. **


	10. Chapter 10 : Quivering

Eli watched as Felicity's granddaughter sobbed into her hands. Felicity tried to calm her and ask her what was wrong. After awhile the teenager was able to regain her composer and look at her grandmother.

"I'm pregnant Grammy." She whispered. Felicity took her into her arms and rubbed her back. She mumbled soothing words into her ear. "Everything is going to be alright Sarah. Everything is going to be fine." She repeated over and over again. Joshua stood next to them; the two were sitting on the couch. Eli noticed how confused he was. He looked as though he didn't know what to do, or say. He looked lost.

Eli figured if his granddaughter came and told him she was pregnant, he wouldn't know what to do either. He wasn't good with comforting people. Actually, now that he thought about it, no one ever came to him for comfort.

He took one last glance at his family before leaving.

.

.

.

Throughout the rest of the day Clare didn't look at and or talk to KC. It wasn't that he did anything to her. Or said anything offending to her. It was just is name._ KC Hamilton._

She wanted to know to he was related to Tyler and Julia; but Clare couldn't bring herself to ask him. She had many chances to ask him, but took advantage of none.

The bus ride home from school was quiet and boring. Adam wasn't there. She wished she had called her mother and asked her to come pick her up. But by the time she boarded the bus it was to late. So she rode the bus in silence.

Clare opened the front door of her house and walked in. She bit her lip and looked around. Eli wasn't there. He had told her that he would "See her later." She was hoping that by "later" he meant when she got back from school. But she was wrong. The house was silent, much like her bus ride.

She threw her bag on the kitchen counter and opened the refrigerator, taking out a Diet Pepsi. As she was shutting the refrigerator door, Clare noticed a picture that was tapped to the door. It wasn't there last night, so her mother must have put it up this morning. The picture showed a drawn purple house with three people standing in front of it. Clare ran a finger down the drawn picture of her family. She had drawn her parents holding hands, with big red smiles on their small heads. Clare drew herself next to her father, holding his hand, a green smile plastered on her small head. Clare smirked at her lack of artistic ability. Clare had drawn the picture when she was 9. She gave it to her father the night after him and her mother told Clare that he was sick.

"_Sweetheart." Randall Edwards motioned for his 9 year old daughter to sit next to him on the brown couch. Clare skipped over her to father and plopped down next to him, a smile on her face. _

"_Hi daddy." Clare said. Randall smiled warmly. "Hi, Clare-Bear." He cleared his throat and looked up at his wife. Her face questioned him. As though she was asking him "Are you sure you want to tell her now?" He responded with a look of sympathy. "I have to." It said. Helen nodded._

"_Your mommy and I have to talk to you about something." He wrapped an arm around his daughter, pulling her closer to him. Helen sat down on the floor in front of them._

_Clare rubbed her thighs nervously. "Is it about my bad grade on my math test? I really tried my hardest, but multiplication is really, really hard." _

_Randall chuckled lightly. "Its not about your math test." Clare let out a sign of relief._

"_Okay, good. Then what do you want to talk about?" She asked._

"_Remember last month when you were really sick, and you had to stay in bed for almost a week?" Clare nodded her head._

"_Well, I'm really sick right now." Randall stopped momentarily to look at Clare. She had a look of concern on her young face. "The doctors are going to try to make be better. They are going to try really hard. I'm going to leave Thursday to go visit a doctor in New York that knows a lot about what's happing to me."_

_Clare pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "What do you have exactly?" Clare asked._

_Randall blinked and looked at Helen. She knew what he was thinking. He didn't want to tell her the name just yet._

"_Daddy has a very bad cold, Clare." Helen said._

Cancer.

That's what Clare's father had.

Clare didn't know the name the disease that her father was battling, until he was gone. Clare had finally asked her mother the details of her father's death two years after he passed. He had lung cancer that spread throughout the body so fast, that no level of chemotherapy could stop it. Within a year, cancerous fluids entered the brain. He passed not long after that.

She hated not knowing the truth about her father for all those years. It was the one thing that plagued her mind for the longest time. She felt as though she was being lied to.

That's why she wanted to know everything that went one the night of Eli's death. She wanted to know the truth. Not some sugar-coated made up story the newspaper had printed.

She didn't want to be lied to anymore. She needed to know. She _had_ to know what happened to Eli.

Clare's mom came home around 7:30. She seemed happy. She brought Clare into the living room and sat her down. Helen smiled and handed Clare a packet.

"I found an amazing adoption agency today. My friend Kim at work adopted a baby from them. She had only positive things to say. If you're still for it Clare, I'm going to make an appointment to meet with one of the workers." Helen said.

Clare flipped through the packet, seeing the happy children's faces as they hugged their adopted parents. She wanted to make a child happy like those people did. "I still think it is an amazing idea mom."

Helen smiled. "As so I. It might be a little hard to convince the agency that I'm a suitable parent, seen as I'm single. But I'll fight for us Clare."

Clare placed a hand on her mother shoulder. "You're an amazing mother. The best one I've ever had." Clare smiled and Helen chuckled. She gave Clare a hug and thanked her.

.

.

.

After dinner and a short chat with her mother, Clare went upstairs to her room. Opening her door, Clare saw what she's been hoping for.

Eli.

He sat at the foot of her bed. His legs crossed Indian style. His face was unreadable. Clare didn't no what to do, so she walked into her room and shut the door behind her.

"Eli?"

"I can't do this anymore. I can't be near you Clare." Eli spoke quickly.

"What? Why?" Clare felt her heart drop.

"When ever I talk to you, somehow the topic of the night I died comes up. I don't want to think about it anymore Clare. I may be dead. But memories still hurt me. If I don't think about them, I don't hurt."

Clare starred at the broken boy that sat in front of her.

"I just want to help you."

"I know. But it hurts." His voice quivered.

**So some wanted to know why I named the last chapter "Paper Flowers" **

**You see. Flowers are something you give someone you care about. But as you already know, Eli's father doesn't really care about him. His care is fake. And paper flowers are not real flowers. Like Eli's father's care, is not real. I hope that makes sense.**


	11. Chapter 11 : The White Flag Waves

Clare signed. He was falling apart right in front of her. She couldn't help but think about how strong and guarded Eli was when she first met him. She couldn't believe that he was the same boy. Clare wished she could hold him. She wished she could wrap her tiny arms around his body and comfort him. But she couldn't. After all he was just a spirit.

"It doesn't have to hurt, Eli. If you tell me, I can help you." All Clare wanted was for Eli to believe her. She meant what she said.

"What do you mean _help me_?" Eli questioned.

"Do you want to stay like this forever Eli? Do you want to be a lost spirit anymore?" Clare looked at him.

Eli starred down at his transparent body. She knew the answer to her own question. Clare knew he didn't want to be a ghost anymore. He _never_ wanted to be a ghost. But she needed him to say it. Out loud.

"No. I don't want to be like this anymore." Eli said. He looked up and met Clare's gaze.

"I can help you Eli. We can figure out why you're stuck on Earth. I can save you Eli. But you need to trust me." Clare said.

She saw the hesitation in his eyes.

"I'm not your parents Eli. I'm not going to push you. I'm not going to make you be someone you're not. I'm not going to hurt you. Ever. In order for me to help you though, Eli you _have _to trust me." Clare pleaded. She walked over to the bed and sat down on it. Eli turned around so he could face her.

"I have a hard time trusting people Clare. It's not…easy for me to do. So many people have hurt me. I've just trained myself not to trust." Eli said honestly.

"You trusted me with your notebook." Clare said.

"That's different. That's a notebook." Eli's eyes wondered the ground. Where his black journal sat in Clare's back pack.

Clare shook her head. "It's not different, Eli. That notebook is a part of you. It holds your stories, your life." She reached down and pulled out the leather coved notebook. "You poured your soul into this Eli. And I know you know I'm right. You must have trusted me a little to have let me read your journal. I know you must have. But now. Now you have to trust all of me."

Eli closed his eyes.

"Please." Clare whispered.

Eli stayed still what seemed like eternity to Clare. His body was stiff and his eyes stay shut. He looked as though he was deep in thought. It was as though he and Clare were in a war and he was internally debating his next move. Keep fighting or surrender? If he kept fighting he could live on as he is. He would never have to talk about his death. He would never have to face his fears of reliving that night. But if he waved his white flag and surrendered. Clare could save him.

That's all he wanted from the beginning. From the first time that he realized he truly was a ghost, all Eli wanted was to be saved. And here his savior sat. In front of him, asking him to trust her, offering her help. He needed her. He didn't want to admit it out loud. But, he truly needed her.

Eli opened his eyes. His green eyes look scared and nervous.

"I've never…told anyone about that night. And to my knowledge, neither have the people who were involved. So only two other people I know what happened that night Clare. You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone. Not your mom. Not Adam. Not _KC_." Eli said. Clare bit her lip. Eli almost sounded jealous of KC. She quickly shook that thought out of her head. Right now was all about Eli. Not KC. Eli.

"I promise Eli." Clare said.

Eli signed. "I trust you." His words sent a ripple of joy down Clare's back.

"Thank you." She said.

Eli ran a hand through his hair. He pulled at his inky, black hair.

He was going to tell someone about what happened. He was actually going to relive that night. He was going to see the blood again. Feel the pain again. Hear the screams once more. He took a deep breath. This was going to be a very long night.

"You don't have to tell me now Eli. We can do this tomorrow. Or even the day after that. Whenever you're ready to tell me. I'll be ready to listen." Clare smiled warmly.

Eli shook his head. "I'm ready. It's better just to rip the bandage off, right?" He tried to lighten the serious mood that hung between the two.

Clare politely chuckled. "I suppose." She answered.

Eli lied down on Clare's bed. He patted the area next to him, motioning her to lie down. She granted his wish and lied down next to him. She turned on her side so that she faced him. One hand tucked under her pillow to support her head. The other lay flat against her bed spread.

Eli stayed quiet for a moment. He moved slightly on the bed. His hand reached for Clare's. He intertwined their fingers. Her hand stayed on the bed while Eli's white mass hovered over hers. Pale against transparent. Clare couldn't feel friction between the two hands. But she could see the gesture. And that was all that mattered.

As Eli began to speak, Clare closed her eyes. She started to picture the scene that Eli was setting. The large office. His father ignoring Eli as he tries to talk to him. The raised voices and yelling of the two males fill her head. Clare feels herself falling into Eli's world.

_Eli walked down the hallways of his house. His fists were stuffed in his pocket. All he really wanted to do was punch something. The wall. The floor. Anything. But his father would hear it and yell at him again. Complain about him being difficult again. Eli didn't want that. There is only so much verbal abuse a kid could take in one day._

"_Elijah!" He heard his mother yell from down the hall. Her heels clanked against the wood floor as she walked quickly down the hallway after him. Eli didn't stop walking. He insisted on ignoring his mother. If his parents could ignore him, he should be able to ignore them. His mother caught up to him. She wrapped her hand around his wrist and brought him to a halt._

"_I heard you and your father yelling. What happened?" She questioned. Eli shook his head. "It was nothing. Just a…it was nothing." He said._

"_You know how he is Elijah. His house, his rules." Eli's mother said. Eli sighed. _

"_I know. Can you let go of my wrist now?" Eli looked at the tight grip his mother hand on him. She released his hand. _

"_Thank you." He mumbled before walking into his room and shutting his door. _

_He needed to leave. He couldn't live under his father roof He couldn't be a prisoner of his own house anymore. _

_Eli opened his closet and pulled out a bag. He shoved a few pairs of clothes, a book, and money into it. _

_He made up his mind. He was going to run away. He pulled out a sheet of paper from a school notebook that lied forgotten on the ground. He scribbled a note to Felicity on it. Saying that he loved her, but he had to get away from his parents. He placed the note on his bed and quickly looked around the room, making sure he had everything that he needed._

_Without a second glace he opened his bedroom window and climb down the fire escape. Into the cold February afternoon, he walked. Never looking back at the grand house he's live in for his entire life._

_Eli was about two blocks from Goldsworthy Manor when he realized that he left his notebook in his desk down in his room. But he decided that he didn't need it. That notebook held his old life. And now he was on his way to a new life. So he would just have to start a new journal. _

_Eli stopped by the bookstore and he stopped by the park. He felt free. He didn't have to worry about being late to dinner. He didn't have to worry about his father yelling at him for spending to much time at the bookstore. He was on his own time now. No on told him what to do. He was Elijah Christopher Goldsworthy, the independent. _

_He stayed at the park for awhile. Until the sky began to darken. He decided that he's better start walking again. So he did. He pasted house and buildings that he's grown up seeing. He mentally said goodbye to them. He was going as far away from Emprieville as humanly possible. _

_He started to walk past the Empireville woods, but them he heard a voice._

"_What are you doin' out so late, Goldsworthy?"_

_Eli rolled his eyes. Just his luck. _

_Tyler Hamilton emerged from the woods._

**I actually liked how that chapter came out. Hmm. (:**

**So author's notes can be used as harmless advertisement right? Okay.**

**I wrote an oneshot. It's called "Mannerisms Of A Fifteen Year Old Boy" **

**Please read it and tell me what you think (:**

e HE H


	12. Chapter 12 : Revelation

_Eli tightened his grip on the back pack strap that rested on his shoulder. He watched as Tyler walked towards him. __**"I should move. I should keep walking."**_ _Eli told himself._

_Tyler grinned when he approached Eli. "You going to answer my question Goldsworthy? What are you doing out so late at night? Are you running away Goldsworthy?" Tyler pushed his shoulder, making Eli to stubble backwards a little. But Eli caught himself._

"_**Just keep walking"**__ Eli told himself again. He turned around and began to walk away. He wasn't going to let Tyler Hamilton ruin his first night of freedom. "Oh, no you don't." Eli heard Tyler say from behind him. He could hear the older boy walking fast behind him. But Eli didn't look back. He kept walking, faster and faster until he started running. His feet made loud thumping noises when they came in contact with the paved street. The speed at which his legs were moving and the speed at which his heart was thumping were the same. Fast._

_Eli could hear Tyler behind him, he was running also._

_He didn't know what Tyler wanted with him. To his knowledge, he didn't do anything to upset him to quite sometime. But he wasn't planning on stopping and asking himwhat his problem was anytime soon. _

_Eli knew that if he kept running straight the two would be running for hours. Tyler was the quarterback of East Port's football team. He could run all night. Eli on the other hand wasn't on the football team; therefore he would eventually need to stop. Eli turned quickly to his left and ran down a small street. He knocked over garbage cans in an attempt to slow Tyler down. It didn't work. Tyler kept running after him, dodging the fallen garbage cans_

"_Real men don't run away Goldsworthy. But, then again some people say you aren't a guy." Tyler yelled from behind._

"_**Ignore him."**__ Eli demanded himself to do. So that's what he did, he ignored Tyler. He tried his hardest not to turn around and punch the living hell out of him when he started talking about Felicity. __**"He wants to get under your skin. Keep running."**_

_Eli didn't notice the hole that was carved into the paved street until he stepped on it and twisted his ankle. He fell down to the ground and clutched his ankle. He looked behind him. Tyler was only a few yards away. He made an attempt to get up, but ended up falling again. _

_Tyler caught up to the Eli and smiled. He leaned down and grabbed a fist full of Eli's hair. He pulled him up and made him stand. _

"_You should have run faster." He stated before turning around and walking down the street, pulling Eli with him. Eli didn't speak as the two walked. He stayed quiet and tried to ignore his ankle that was throbbing with pain. Tyler lead the two down the road Eli had run down and onto the main road. He crossed the street and walked into the woods. _

_Eli was hoping that someone would see them and help him. But no one was outside at this time at night. Tyler continued to walk deeper and deeper into the woods. Eli tripped over a tree root and hissed. He would have fallen if Tyler wasn't holding onto his hair._

_When Tyler was satisfied with the location he stopped and pushed Eli onto the ground. Eli landed on a tree stump. His back crashed against it and he silently whimpered in pain. Tyler scoffed._

"_Stop being such a girl." Tyler rolled his eyes and stepped on Eli's ankle. He knew it was the one that was twisted. Eli let out a loud hiss. Tyler smirked and added more pressure to the ankle. Eli tried to pry Tyler's foot off of his ankle, but Tyler wouldn't move. He just continued to add pressure to the ankle._

"_This is going to be fun." Tyler thought out loud. Eli glanced at him; a questioning look appeared on his face._

"_Oh. I'm sorry. I should probably tell you what's going on here." Tyler kicked him in the stomach before he slammed Eli's head against the tree stump. He sat down on the tree stump and once again grabbed a fist full of his hair and made Eli look at him. Eli clutched his stomach, tears threatened to fall out of his eyes, but he didn't let them._

"_Well, a few hours ago I got a phone call from your Daddy." Tyler smiled down at the younger boy. Eli looked up at him with a confused expression. "Ha! That's right. You don't know that we talk to one another. But anyways, your dad called me and told me that you ran away. He sounded really pissed. You want to know what he said. He said __**'If the little bitch thinks he's too good to live under my roof, he doesn't deserve to live at all.' **__And so he made me a deal that, well I couldn't turn down." Tyler chuckled as though he just said the funniest thing ever._

_Eli's eyes widened. "What is the deal?" Eli asked. He didn't want to know the answer, so he didn't know why he had just asked that question._

"_He said that he would give me 2,000 bucks if I killed you." _

_Eli shut his eyes tight. He couldn't believe it. His own father._

_Tyler stood up and pushed Eli back down so he lay on his back. He placed his foot on his stomach and pressed his heel into the spot he had kicked him before. Eli let out a yelp._

"_Everyone hates you. I'm just doing what everyone else wants to do." He brought his foot up and slammed it back into his stomach. _

_Eli knew he wasn't going to see daylight again. There was no point in fighting Tyler. Tyler continued to kicked him and punch him. He enjoyed the screams of pain that Eli made. Tyler kneeled down on Eli's chest. One knee dug into his chest while the other kneeled down on the ground, supporting him. He placed his hand on the side of Eli's cheek._

"_Your Dad wished her could beat you up like I do. He always wanted to but your god damn mother was always in the way. She convinced him not to. She always kept on eye on him. So he never had the chance to hurt you. So he hired me. He paid me to beat you up. He __**hates**__ you. What kind of Daddy is that? Not a good one." Tyler pushed Eli's face to the side slowly. _

_Eli knew he was going to die any second. Tyler was going to snap his neck and he was going to die. He closed his eyes and mentally cursed at his father. He bit his lip as Tyler pushed his head harder and harder to the left._

"_Tyler!" A voice called. And the last thing Eli heard when he was alive was a loud snap._

_Elijah Christopher Goldsworthy was dead._

Eli stopped telling his story when he heard a silent sob. He looked at Clare and saw the tears that were falling down her face.

"Clare?" Eli asked.

Clare shook her head and covered her mouth. After a few minutes she took a breath and opened her mouth to speak.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I just can't believe that anyone could- could do something like that to another person. And I can't fathom why your father would do something like that. Eli I'm so sorry." Clare said.

"Clare…it's not your fault. You weren't even alive yet. Your parents weren't even alive yet. It's fine." Eli said. He didn't like watching Clare cry.

"Is there any more that you want to tell me?" Clare's voice was shaky but she looked Eli straight in the eye.

"Yes. If you are willing to listen." Eli said.

Clare nodded her head, signaling him to proceed.

**Was anyone expecting that? Haha**

**Oh and I am really sorry for my spelling/grammar errors. I re-read this chapter about three times and did spell check like 12 times. But I probably missed something if not a lot of things. But anyways, Thank you for all the reviews (:**


	13. Chapter 13 : Problem Solved

Eli nodded and began to talk again." When Tyler…_killed_ me. I didn't die. I could see and hear _everything._ And I didn't know why. I was so scared and confused, Clare. It was…terrifying. So I just stood there, over my so called dead body, and watched the aftermath of my death."

.

.

.

"_Tyler?" The voice asked. Tyler looked up from Eli's body to see a dark mass approaching him. It was Julia. He didn't know what to do with Eli's body and Julia was walking faster and faster towards him. He quickly pushed the body off to the side and hoped Julia wouldn't see it._

"_There you are." She said when she finally reached Tyler. "Mom sent me out to find you." Julia explained as she pointed her flashlight at Tyler's face, making him blink. "I saw you walking into the woods with another boy and I-" _

_She let out a gasp and her hands shot up to her mouth. The flashlight tumbled onto the ground and flashlight pointed in the direction of where Julia was looking. She could now clearly see the mangled body that was carelessly lying on the ground. She immediately recognized the face of the boy. _

_The boy that she had secretly loved for many years lay motionless only a few feet away._

"_What did you do?" She questioned. She didn't look at her brother when she spoke. Her eyes never left Eli's body._

"_Julia…"_

_Julia fell to her knees in the front of Eli. Her hands wrapped around his torso. She brought her face down to his chest pressed her ear against his heart._

_She heard nothing._

_Her head shot back up at Tyler._

"_What did you do?" Her voice echoed throughout the woods. Tears had begun to fall from her brown eyes; they swam down her face and dripped off of her chin. Tyler jumped slightly, he was caught off by the harshness in her voice._

"_I did nothing." Tyler said. He showed no emotion, which only infuriated Julia more._

"_Don't lie to me Tyler!" She spat. _

_Tyler walked over to Julia and pulled her up by her arm. _

"_Go home." Tyler snarled. "Now."_

"_No." Julia pulled her arm away from Tyler. "I'm going to the police."_

_Tyler grabbed her arm again. "You are not going to the police. You are going home and forgetting everything that you saw." Tyler said forcefully._

_Julia didn't say anything. She looked back at Eli's body and let out a sob._

"_Go home, Julia." He pushed her away from him. Julia turned around and walked away from her brother. _

_._

_._

_._

"Did he just leave you there? How did your family find out?" Clare sat up and pulled her knees up to her chest. She then rested her chin on her knees.

Eli couldn't help but chuckle. Clare was like a little kid. She was curious and passionate and she asked so many questions. Questions upon questions upon questions. But Eli didn't mind. He liked the fact that Clare was so curious about him. He liked the fact that someone wanted to hear what he had to say.

"No. Tyler didn't leave me there. His truck was parked down the road. He drove it up to where my body was and then dumped me in the back of the truck, like my body was some sort of animal. I didn't know what to do; I didn't know what I was, so I went with him. I sat in the truck next to my body and Tyler ended up driving to my house. He parked down the road a little. He probably didn't want anyone to see him. When he walked around the back to get my body, I tried to say something to him. But he didn't hear me. I yelled and screamed but he didn't hear a word that I said. I hadn't figured out how to control who can hear and see me yet. Actually I didn't figure that out until a few years ago. So, I just watched as he dragged my body to the back porch of my house. Tyler pushed my body up the steps and carelessly placed it in front of the back door. He went to his truck and got a piece of paper and a pen. He wrote on the paper and placed it next to my body. _**Problem Solved**_ the paper said." Eli shook his head.

"Because that's all I was to my father. A problem."

Clare was going to say something but decided against it when Eli began to speak again.

"The worst part of that whole night…was having Felicity find me on the back porch."

.

.

.

"_What do you mean he's gone?" Felicity snapped at her father._

"_Just that. He's gone. He ran away, I went up to his room to tell him to get ready for dinner and he wasn't there." He said. His voice showed no concern, no worry._

"_How long has he been gone? Do you know where he went?" Felicity ran her fingers through her hair. Her breathing started to pick up pace. Elizabeth walked over to her sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulder._

"_I don't know how long he has been gone and I most certainly do not know where he went." Felicity's glared at her father in complete disbelief. He was acting so calm and confidante. He was certainly not acting like a father whose child is missing. _

"_He'll come back. Don't worry. He probably just needs some times to himself. That's all." Elizabeth whispered into Felicity's ear. _

_Their mother, Melinda, stood a few feet away from her three family members. She was silent. She still could not wrap her head around the fact that her son had run away. For sixteen years she's watched out for him, she's protected him. She admits that sometimes she could be a little forceful and bitchy…but that was only to protect Eli. And now, he was gone. She knew he wouldn't come back. Hell, if she had the choice she would have left her husband years ago. He was nothing but abusive and hateful. But she needed him, he gave her a house to live in, food to eat, he provided for her. She couldn't leave._

_Felicity shrugged her sister's arm off of her shoulder. "I'm going to go outside for a minuet, I just need some air." Felicity walked over to the door that leads to the back porch. _

"_I think I should go call-"_

_Elizabeth was cut off by the sound of Felicity's scream. _

_Elizabeth and Melinda quickly ran to the back door._

_Felicity was sitting on the ground, Eli's body sprawled across her lap. She cleaned the blood off of his face with her sweater._

"_Eli? Can you hear me?" She whispered. He didn't respond. _

"_Elijah, wake up." She whispered again. He didn't respond. _

"_T-This isn't funny Elijah. Wake up now." She tried sound forceful but her voice quivered. Eli still said nothing. _

_Felicity feverishly pressed her fingers against Eli's throat, trying to find a pulse. She felt nothing. Her eyes began to blur by unshed tears. _

_Her mother and sister appeared behind her but she paid no attention to them. Her finger's pushed deeper against Eli's neck, she needed to feel a pulse._

_**He's not dead. **_

_**He's not dead.**_

_That's all that went through her head. She felt her mother sit down next to her. She saw her pick up the piece of paper that was placed next to him. She heard her father ask Elizabeth what was going on. But all she could focus on was the boy that was lying motionless on her lap. _

"_Felicity, I think he's-"_

"_**Shut up!**__" She screamed. The tears she was holding back fell slowly down her face. Her nails dug into Eli's black cotton t-shirt as she pulled his body closer to hers. Her body was trembling with anger, with fear, with astonishment. She couldn't bring herself to face the reality that her brother was dead._

"_Not him. Not my baby brother." She chocked. _

.

.

.

Eli bit his lip when he finished telling Clare about Felicity.

"I wish I could have down something. I wish I could have spoken to her. But I didn't know how." He said.

Clare wished that she knew how to comfort him. He looked so broken.

"Why don't you talk to her now?" Clare asked.

Eli shook his head. "I don't want to do that Clare. Everything is easier if she doesn't know about me. No one is hurt. No scars are reopened."

Clare nodded her head. "Thank you for telling me Eli. I know it must be hard for you to think about. But I'm thankful that you trust me."

"I'm thankful that I found someone I can trust." Eli smiled a rare, but beautiful smile.

Clare blushed and looked down at her lap.

"Clare-Bear! I'm home." Clare looked at the clock. It was 7:00 already. She looked back at Eli who was still smiling. She didn't want to leave, but she had to.

"I have to go…" Clare mumbled, she moved off of her bed and smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes. She walked towards her bedroom door, but before she could turn the knob, she heard Eli's voice.

"Clare, you don't have to move out. It's your house now."


	14. Chapter 14 : Shades of Red

Clare turned around, a small smile spread a crossed her face. Her stomach twisted and churned, butterflies fluttered within her. Not only had Eli shared the story of his darkest day with Clare, he finally trusted her enough to let her stay in his house. All Clare wanted to do at that moment was wrap her arms around Eli's waist and pull him into the most passionate hug ever. But seen as there was no possible way she could grasp Eli's transparent body, she couldn't do that.

"Thank you." Clare said.

Eli smiled back and nodded his head. His black bangs moved back and forth a cross his forehead. Clare had always been so focused on the history of Eli that she'd never taken the time to really _look_ at him. Clare's blue eyes met Eli's eyes for a split second. His dark clothes made his emerald green eyes stand out. Clare's eyes moved down to his red lips that were still sporting a smile. She couldn't help but want to kiss them. But she knew that wasn't going to be possible. Her eyes wandered down to his lean body. He was skinny but Clare could see some small muscle definitions in his arms and stomach.

Clare let out a shaky breath. Eli Goldsworthy was truly beautiful.

Clare's eye shot back up to Eli's when she heard his voice.

"You're welcome." He said. "You should probably go downstairs now, don't want to keep your mom waiting." Eli motioned to the door that stood behind Clare.

"Yeah I guess you're uh…right." Clare tucked a red curl behind her ear as she wrapped her hand around the metal door knob behind her. "Are you going to go to um Felicity's house or are you going to…"

Eli shrugged "I think I'll just hang out here, if that's alright with you."

"That's fine with me!" Clare said a little more excitedly then she intended. Eli chuckled and thanked her. Clare took one last glance at the boy before she opened the door and walked out.

She walked down the stairs and called out to her mother.

"Mom? Where are you?" She asked.

"In the kitchen sweetie." Helen answered.

Clare made her way to the kitchen, maneuvering her way around all the furniture. When she walked past the back porch door a tiny whimper fell from Clare's lips. That door would forever be connected to the after math of Eli's death. She wouldn't be able to look at the door with out thinking of Eli's dead body or Felicity's cries of disbelief.

Clare shook off the thought and continued walking to the kitchen. No madder how many time she walked around Goldsworthy Manor, she could never get over how large it was.

She made a mental note to ask Eli to take her on a tour of the whole house one time.

Clare pushed open the heavy door that led to the kitchen. She walked in and saw her mother flipping through the mail, separating the mail into two piles on the counter. When Helen heard the door open she looked up from the papers in her hands to see her daughter.

Clare smiled "Hey mom." She said as she walked further into the kitchen.

"Hi honey. So I called the adoption agency today and they agreed to meet me tomorrow. They only have time to meet me during the hours your in school so I'm afraid you can't come with me this time Clare." Helen said.

Clare nodded her head. "That's okay mom."

Helen furrowed her eye brows. There was something about Clare's eyes that worried her. They seemed empty and distance. Helen placed a hand on Clare's and squeezed her hand.

"Is there something you want to talk to me about?" Helen asked.

Without warning Clare quickly wrapped her arms around her mother; she pulled her close to her and rested her head on her mother's shoulder. Helen was caught off guard but wrapped her arms around her daughter. She rubbed Clare's back in a comforting manor.

When Clare pulled away from her mother she rubbed her eye, trying to get rid of the tears that had begun to form. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Clare, talk to me. What's the problem?" Helen took Clare's hand once again.

"It's just…" Clare though for a moment. She couldn't tell her mother directly about Eli, so she quickly made up an explanation. "I was reading this book. And the boy in the story, his father was horrible to him. It made me realize how blessed I am to have you and how blessed I was to have dad. I can't imagine going through what kids with abusive parents go through." Clare said.

Helen brought her hands up to Clare's face and ran her thumb over her cheek, pushing away a tear that had slipped out of her eye. "Clare, I love you honey. I will always love you." Clare let out a quite sob, but Helen continued to speak. "There are so many children out there who don't have sable home lives. I wish I could help them all, but I can't. But when I adopt, Clare, I'm going to be keeping one more child safe…remember that. Okay?" Helen smiled at her daughter.

"Okay." Clare whispered.

"I didn't know books got to you this bad." Helen said.

Clare let out a small laugh. "I guess this one did."

.

.

.

When Clare left the room, reality finally hit Eli. He had actually told someone about his death. Now there were three people who knew exactly what happened. Clare, Tyler and him. Eli wasn't sure how Clare was going to help him. He had spent so many years trying to help himself, and he was still a ghost. What was a 15 year old girl going to do?

Eli knew Clare was smart, but what did she know about the paranormal. She didn't look like the type of person who knew that much about ghosts. Hell, _he_ didn't even that much about ghost. Apart, the two of them were completely lost. But together, maybe they could figure it out.

He looked around the room that he was sitting in. His old room, now Clare's room. He couldn't help but smirk. Out of all the room in his house, Clare picked his old room. The room was still set up the way it was when he was 16. The bed was still standing in the middle. Dressers were still lined up against the wall. And the book shelf was still lined with books. Eli walked over and read the titles. There were romance books, mystery books, autobiographies, biographies, history books. Eli chuckled. Clare's book shelf was like a mini library.

Eli's mind wondered to Clare. He thought about her smile, her laugh, her eyes, her hands. She was so beautiful it made him sick. He knew he would never be able to be with her that way he wanted to. He would never be able to hug her and feel her warm skin against his. He would never be able to run his fingers through her curly red hair. He would never be able to kiss her and steal her breath away.

Eli let out a groan of frustration. His feelings were mixed. Ever since Eli realized what he was, all her ever wanted was to find a way out. But now that he has Clare, there is a part of him that doesn't want her to help him move on. There is a part of him that wants to stay the way he is so that he can spend time with Clare. There is a part of him that wants to watch Clare grow up and live her life.

Eli walked back over to Clare's bed and sat down. He heard the light sound of feet coming up the stairs. A few seconds passed before the bedroom door opened.

Clare walked in, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her sweater. Eli noticed that her eyes looked red. "Clare, are you okay?" Eli questioned.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah I'm fine. Just an- uh…emotional conversation with my mom. That's all." Clare pushed the door closed and walked over to her bed. She sat down a cross from Eli.

Eli sighed. These were one of the moments he wished he could hold Clare in his arms and whisper words of encouragement into her ear.

"How about you go get into something comfortable, and then we can talk about something?" Eli suggested.

Clare forced a smile. "That sounds like a good idea." She got up and walked over to her dresser. She pulled out an old t-shirt and some sweatpants. Clare excited the room and walked down the hallway towards the bathroom.

Eli leaned back against the head board and swung his legs up onto the bed. He placed his hands behind his head and waited for Clare to come back.

When Clare re-entered the room, Eli smiled. Clare's bouncy hair was pulled back into a messy bun and her face was clear of makeup. Her shirt of baggy and her sweatpants looked as though they were three sizes to big. But she was the prettiest thing he had ever seen.

"What?" Clare questioned. She had noticed that he was staring at her.

Eli shrugged. "Nothing. It's just…you look pretty without makeup. I don't think you need it."

Clare felt her cheeks heat up. She had been called pretty before, but somehow Eli calling her pretty made her blush four different shades of red. She walked over to the other side of her bead and pulled down the covers. She climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over her. She propped her pillow up against the head board and leaned against it.

"So… What do you want to talk about?" Clare asked.

"How about you?" Eli asked.

"What do you mean?" Clare furrowed her eyebrows.

"Well you know a lot about me Clare Edwards. But I don't know all that much about you." Eli said.

"I don't know. My life is kind of really boring." Clare said chucking.

"I kind of really want to know." Eli smiled

**Sorry that it's been a while since I updated. Blame writer's block and a mental break down. Seriously…I went all Eli's locker scene on my mom the other day. I couldn't find my grandfather's wedding band.**

**But anyways I hope you enjoyed!**


	15. Chapter 15 : Undeniable

"Well…" Clare played with the blue blankets that rested on her lap. She didn't know what to tell Eli. She wished that she had something exciting to share with him, but couldn't think of anything worth sharing.

"I've always been a nerd." She laughed slightly. "School and learning…those two things are what I'm best at. I've never been the kind of person that went out to parties and had a lot of friends…I'm kind of a loner."

Eli smiled. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with being a loner."

"I never said there was." Clare smiled back.

A silence fell between them. Clare looked down at her lap as her hands continued to play with the blanket. She absentmindedly bit her bottom lip.

"You look like you want to say something Edwards." Eli stated. Clare looked up and her lip slipped out from between her teeth.

"I'm here to listen, Clare." Eli said. His green eyes locked onto her blue ones, sending a small shiver down her spine. Clare inwardly sighed. Eli was so honest and open with her about his life and everything that happened to him. She decided that she would do that same.

"I know how you felt, Eli. When Tyler and those kids made fun of you, and hurt you. I know how you felt. When I was younger, I used to have these ugly glasses. I mean they were horrible. And I had really bad skin. People at my old schools, they never talked to me. They talked _about _me, but never _to_ me. It was hard sometimes, listening to what they said about me. They called me names and made rude remarks about me. I was never comfortable in my own skin. And the fact that my mom and I moved around a lot, never really helped. Schools after school, the people were all the same. So I just blocked everyone out. I decided that if I had no friends everything would be better. If you don't let people in, you don't get hurt right? That's what I thought…I mean I've gotten better at making friends and talking to people, seen as I have Adam. But I'm still not fully…there." Clare looked away from Eli shortly to brush a tiny tear that had appeared in the corner of her eye.

She couldn't believe that she was crying over such a little thing. Clare didn't think it was right to be crying over getting bullied. Eli didn't get emotional while telling his story. She didn't know why she couldn't be more like Eli.

"Clare, its okay to cry. Bullying is a hard topic. It hurts to be bullied, I know." Eli's voice was soft. He tried his best to sooth Clare, to reassure her.

Clare nodded her head, but didn't meet Eli's eyes. "I guess you're right. I just wish I didn't cry over every little thing. It kind of gets embarrassing."

"Crying is only natural. If you didn't cry about emotional things, I would be concerned." Eli said. A small smirk appeared on his face.

"But you didn't cry when you were telling me about what happened to you. And your story is far more emotional that mine." Clare said

Eli shook his head. "Trust me Clare. If I was only and I was thinking about the night I died. I would be bawling like a little baby. I'm not as strong as you think I am. Actually I'm not strong at all. I'm a weak person who pushes people away."

Clare finally looked back at Eli. "Well, I guess we have a lot more in common than I thought."

"A semi-dead 16 year old boy and a beautiful 15 year old girl. Both have been bullied and are anti-social. Gee, we should have an HBO special." Eli and Clare both laughed, their voices echoed throughout the bedroom. Clare smiled to herself. Eli's laugh was smooth and deep. It reminded her of her father's laugh.

"I don't think I should be so loud." Clare said, her voice lower than before. "My mom might think I'm talking to myself."

Eli chuckled. "Well that sucks…because I must say, you have a beautiful laugh."

"Why thank you Mr. Goldsworthy."

"You are welcome, Ms. Edwards."

The room fell silent once again and the two teens stared at each other.

Eli cleared his throat and stood up from Clare's bed. "I should probably leave. Its 9:30 already…and you need some sleep."

"Ah, yes I have school bright and early tomorrow morning." Clare rolled her eyes.

Eli smirks. "I would hate to be you."

Clare smiled. "Goodnight _Elijah_."

"Sleep tight Clare."

Clare watched as Eli disappeared. She fell back onto her bed. Her head hit the pillow and bounced genially. She ran a hand through her hair. She pulled at the roots and let out a small sigh.

She, Clare Diane Edwards, had an undeniable crush on a ghost.

.

.

.

"Good morning Clare."

Clare looked up from her book that she was reading and saw the eyes of K.C. Hamilton. K.C. smiled and sat down in the seat in front of her. Since it was homeroom, the teacher didn't care where they sat, as long as they stayed in their seats.

Clare smiled kindly. "Good morning to you too, K.C."

"Well I didn't get a call from you last night, so I'm guessing that you talked to your friend that you were having a problem with?" K.C. asked.

Clare had almost forgotten that she had told K.C. that she was nervous about Eli. She nodded her head. "Oh, yes. I-uh…I talked to him last night, we have everything figured out."

Clare saw a flicker of saddest in K.C.'s eye when she said _him_. Did K.C. think she was having trouble with a boyfriend? Was he jealous? Did he like her? Clare wondered all those questions.

"But thank you for checking up on me…it means a lot." Clare placed a hand on K.C's forearm and gave it a friendly squeeze. K.C. smiled in response.

"You're welcome, Clare." He pushed his bangs out of his face and looked Clare in the eye. "So I was wondering…would you want to maybe go out of lunch today? There's this place called The Dot. A bunch of us usually go there to get something to eat."

Clare blushed slightly. "I-uh don't have any money or anything."

"I'll pay for you!" K.C. smiled.

"I couldn't let you do-"

"Please?" K.C. asked.

Clare debated with herself for a few seconds. K.C. was a seemed like a good person and Clare promised herself a long time ago that she was going to make new friends at Degrassi. Going out to lunch with him seemed like a good opportunity to make some friends.

"Sure K.C., I'll go to lunch with you." Clare said.

K.C. instantly smiled. "Thank you. So I'll meet you by the front doors 5th period. Okay?"

Clare nodded her head. "It sounds like a plan."

"_Plans? What plans?" _

Clare jumped in her seat at the sound of Eli's voice. She really hated when he pops out of no where like that. K.C's eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Clare nodded her head. "Yes I'm fine." Clare assured K.C.

He smiled and turned around in his seat. Clare glanced to her right and saw Eli standing there with his hands in the pockets on his dark jeans and a smirk plastered on his face.

"_Did I scare you, again?" _Eli asked.

Clare rolled her eyes playfully and looked back at the front of the room. Eli took that as his cue to jump up onto her desk.

"_You know I think I might make this an everyday thing. Come to your school, scare you shitless, and annoy you till you try to strangle me."_ Eli chuckled. _"You could probably call that a __**haunting**__." _

Clare rolled her eyes again and crossed her arms a cross her chest.

Eli couldn't help but think about how cute Clare looked when she was trying to act pissed. She tried to keep a straight face but a small smile kept creeping onto her mouth. It was only a madder of second before a full smile appeared on Clare face. It was the kind of smile that made the butterflies in Eli's stomach go haywire. His insides melted and he felt like putty when Clare smiled _that_ smile. Her smile caused Eli to smile as well. Not a smirk, but a full on smile. There was something about being with Clare that made him feel happy, that made him feel alive.

Eli's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of K.C.'s voice.

"Oh I might take me a little longer to get to the front door to meet you before lunch. I have to drop some books off at my locker, but I'll try my best to go fast."

Clare looked through Eli's body and looked at K.C. "That's okay, you don't have to rush."

"Okay." K.C. smiled and took one last glance at Clare before turning back around in his seat.

Eli scoffed. You'd have to be blind to not see how much that K.C wanted Clare. He thought. He peered over K.C. shoulder and read the name that was scribbled across the top of his paper. Eli bit the inside of his cheek when he saw what K.C's last name was.

_Hamilton_.

There was no way in **hell** Clare was going to lunch with anyone with the last name of Hamilton.

Eli turned back and looked at Clare, his eye brow shot up.

He

"_So you made lunch plans with that guy?"_ Eli asked.

Clare softly nodded her head yes.

"_He's a __**Hamilton**__, Clare."_

Clare blinked. She bit her bottom lip and softly nodded her head again.

"_But you already knew that…didn't you?" _Eli asked. His eyes grew darker.

Clare hesitated but shook her head softly again. She was fully aware that K.C. was a Hamilton.


	16. Chapter 16 : Forgive Me, Edwards

Eli sat on Clare's desk and starred down at her in disbelief. His arms were crossed a cross his chest and his eyes looked straight into Clare's. Clare averted her eyes and looked up towards the teacher.

She couldn't look at him; he was obviously upset with her and his eyes made her feel sick. They were dark, cold, and full of what appeared to be confusion.

"_He's a __**Hamilton**__, Clare. He's related to the kid that __**killed**__ me. Did you even listen to anything I said last night? Hmm?"_ Eli asked. Clare didn't look at him, she fiddled with the pen that was in her hands and continued to look at the teacher. Eli wished he could grab her chin and make her look at him.

"_Clare will you just talk to me, please?"_

Clare let out a small sigh and dug her cell phone out of her pocket. She typed something out on the small keyboard and then set in down the desk so Eli could see.

**K.C. might not be related to Tyler. Ever think of that? There are probably a lot of other people with the last name Hamilton. **

Eli shook his head and looked back up at Clare.

"_K.C. looks exactly like Tyler. He's defiantly related to him."_

Before Clare could respond, the bell rang. She stood up and slid her bang onto her shoulder. She began to walk as K.C. stood up and the two bumped into each other. K.C. grabbed onto Clare's arms to keep her from falling over. Clare laughed, somewhat embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry!" She said.

K.C. let go of her arms once she was balanced and smiled widely. "It's alright, Clare." He chuckled slightly. "I'll see you later." He walked over to the door and waved before he left. Clare politely waved back. She could almost hear Eli rolling his eyes from behind her. When she turned around, he was doing just that.

Clare pushed her bag up onto her shoulder and again and rolled her eyes back at him.

"Come on, just walk." She mumbled. She quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard her talking. She was still the new girl and being known as the "Weird girl that talks to herself" wasn't something she wanted.

As she and Eli walked down the hall, see thought about how much she wished Adam was in school. He had missed the bus today and was not coming in until later. She needed a friend by her side at the moment. Not a dead one that was currently mad at her. She needed a normal friend that would be able to make her feel sane.

Adam was her comic relief. She needed him at a time like this, when everything seemed so tense and unpredictable.

Eli didn't say anything to Clare as they walked down the hall. He was a few inches away from her and his hands were stuffed in his pockets. He looked down at the floor as he walked. Clare could hear Eli muttering something under his breath. She couldn't make it out, but she figured Eli didn't want her to hear what he was saying.

Clare pushed open the door to her math class. She walked in and peered around. No one was there. She waited until the door to the classroom was completely shut before she spoke.

"So are you mad at me or something?" Clare placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head slightly to the side. "Why can't I go out to eat with some friends?"

Eli ran a hand through his hair and groaned. "He's related to Tyler, Clare. He could hurt you! Just like Tyler hurt me."

Clare scoffed. "That's not a valid excuse. Just because they _**may be **_related__does not mean K.C. is anything like Tyler. I mean look at you and your dad. The two of you are nothing alike."

"That's because my father is a lying asshole and I am not! And can you please not bring up my family? Were talking about K.C. right now." Eli yelled.

Clare was taken back by the fact that Eli had yelled at her. She knew it was partly her fault. She shouldn't have brought up his father.

"Fine." Clare whispered before she sat down in her seat. Eli walked over and sat down on the desk in front of her. People began to walk into the class room and take their seats. Clare pulled out her math notebook and folder and set them on her desk.

The math teacher walked in not long after the bell rang. Clare began to write down the notes that the teacher wrote on the chalk board.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you Clare. I shouldn't have freaked out on you like that. You didn't do anything wrong. I just… I don't want you to get hurt. I don't know what I would do if anything bad were to happen to you." Eli said. He leaned forward so that he was closer to Clare, who was bent over in her desk writing down notes. "Forgive me, Edwards?"

Clare smiled and scribbled down her response on the corner of her paper.

**Of course, Goldsworthy.**

Eli sighed in relief. "Thank you." He moved around a bit on the desk and got comfortable.

"So…are you really going to go to lunch with K.C.?" Eli asked. He hoped she would say no, but he knew that

**Yes. I'm still going to lunch with him. But there are going to be other people there too.** Clare wrote on the paper.

"Okay…It's just…like I said before; I don't want anything bad happen to you." Eli said.

**Nothing will happen to me, I promise.**

"You can't promise that, Clare. There's always a possibility that…" Eli trailed off. He pulled at the neck of his black t-shirt, suddenly feeling suffocated by it.

**What if you tagged along with us? **Clare wrote down on the paper, before looking up t him.

"Like come along with the two of you… on your date?" Eli asked, arching an eyebrow.

**It's not a date! Were going to lunch, with other people.**

"If you say so and…if you don't mind me tagging along with you…" Eli met Clare's gaze.

Her eyes answered his question. They said _'Not at all'_.

"Okay. I guess I'll go with you." Eli said.

**K.C. may be able to help us.**

"How?" Eli asked.

Clare looked at her teacher when she heard her name called. The teacher motioned her to come up to the board. There was a problem that was on the her math homework from last night, written on the board. Clare guessed she that she had to go up there and answer it, but she hadn't been able to do her homework last night. She was busy talking to Eli.

Eli noticed the look of fear on Clare face. He quickly looked over the question.

"X equals -8 and Y equals 5" He said.

Clare shot him a quick "Thank you" look before she got up and walked to the board.

Clare wrote down the answer on the board and returned to her seat. The teacher congratulated her for getting the answer right. Clare nodded her head and looked down at the notebook on her desk.

**Thank you. Are you some sort of closet math genies? **Clare scribbled down on the paper.

Eli smirked. "Not really. So back to K.C., how do you think he can help us?"

**Well I mean if K.C. is related to Tyler, he could probably give us some information about him. Which might help us figure out why you are here.**

"Why would information about Tyler help us figure out why I'm here?"

**What if Tyler has something to do with you not moving on after you died?**

Eli scratched his chin. "I've never thought about that…"

.

.

.

Clare shifted her weight from one foot to another. K.C. was going meet her at any moment. Clare looked around to make sure there was no one that could hear her, before she spoke to Eli.

"Okay, you have to promise me you'll be good. No throwing stuff or making weird noises to freak K.C. out." Clare said.

"I'll try my hardest." Eli retorted.

"Eli…" Clare scolded.

"Fine…I'll be on my best behavior." Eli promised.

"Clare! Hey." K.C. jogged out of the front doors of Degrassi and up to Clare.

Clare smiled "Hey."

"So The Dot is just down the road a little bit." K.C. motioned to the street.

Clare nodded and the two (with Eli trailing behind them) walked down the street.

Clare walked down the road with K.C. next to her. He was talking about basketball and how much it helped him find himself.

"You know Clare. You should come to one of my basketball games. I think you would have some fun." K.C. said taking a side glance towards Clare.

"Oh…I uh don't know that much about basketball." Clare admitted looking down at her shoes.

"Well we could always hang out sometimes and I could teach you a little bit about it." K.C. suggested.

From behind her Clare heard Eli scoff.

"Over my dead body." He mumbled. Then he chuckled. "Oh, wait."

Clare couldn't help but roll her eyes and smile.


	17. Chapter 17 : In His Eyes

Clare kicked a rock with her foot and she and K.C. walked to The Dot. K.C. continued to talk about basketball and Clare continued to try to act interested. With every sentence K.C. uttered, Clare heard Eli mumble a sarcastic. She admitted that all of Eli's comments were funny, but then again they were rude. When K.C. looked away from Clare to check if any cars were coming before they crossed the street, Clare shot a quick "knock it off" look towards Eli.

Eli rolled his eyes, mockingly. "Come _on_ Clare, this guy is obsessed with himself." He said.

Clare arched her eyebrows and gave him a "whatever" look.

"I'm serious; he hasn't stopped talking about himself since we left Degrassi. Some boyfriend you got there, Edwards." Eli scoffed.

Clare glared at him and Eli shot his hands up and waved them in mock surrender. "Joking, just joking. I know shaggy head isn't your boyfriend."

Clare turned her head back around when K.C. said that there were no cars coming. As they started to walk across the street, K.C. gently took Clare's hand into his own. Eli groaned.

Clare looked down at their hands. She was taken aback by K.C's gesture. She didn't want him to get a wrong idea about the two of them going to lunch together, so she slowly pulled her hands away from K.C.'s. K.C. blushed with embarrassment and Eli mumbled _"That's my girl" _under his breath.

Clare blushed slightly when Eli called her "his girl."

"So" K.C. cleared his throat and opened the door to a small restaurant. "This is The Dot." Clare walked in and K.C. walked in after her. Eli on the other hand opted to walk through the wall.

K.C. walked towards a group of people and Clare immediately recognized the boy. He was Drew Torres, Adam's older brother. Clare sighed in relief. She was going to know at least one person at the table.

A blonde girl smiled and waved at K.C., she motioned for him to sit next to her, but he chose a seat next to Drew instead. Clare slid into the seat next to the blonde girl. Drew smiled and gave Clare a small wave. Clare waved back.

"You guys know each other?" K.C. asked.

Drew nodded his head. "Yeah, Clare's friends with Adam. She had pizza with us the other night." Drew gave Clare a little smirk and then wrapped his arms around the dark skinned girl sitting next to him. The girl reached out a cross the table and Clare shook her hand.

" I'm Alli." She said while shaking her hand.

"Clare."

"Oh my gosh! I love your bracelet." Alli shrieked. She grabbed Clare's wrist and looked over the tiny sliver bracelet that Clare was wearing.

Clare laughed. "Thank you. My mom gave it to me for my 13th birthday."

"Well it's, beautiful." Alli said. Drew placed his hand on Alli's and pried it off of Clare's wrist.

"Why don't we let Clare breath for a second Al, before you jump down her throat?" Drew said. Alli rolled her eyes and looked back at Clare.

"We didn't know what the two of you wanted so I just ordered you two a ham sandwich." She said, referring to Clare and K.C.

Clare nodded her head. "That's fine."

Clare later found out the blonde's name that was sitting at the table, was Jenna. And by the looks of it, she had a thing for K.C. She was always trying to get him to pay attention to her. She would push around her blonde hair and bat her eyelashes at him. But K.C. continued to focus on Clare.

Jenna pursed her lips and then looked at Clare. "So, is it true that you live at that old mansion?" Jenna asked.

Clare nodded her head and cleaned the crumbs off of her mouth that the sandwich had left. "Yes, I do actually."

"Hmm. Isn't it like all gross and old inside?" Jenna placed her chin in her hands.

"No, it's not. Goldsworthy Manor is most gorgeous house I've ever seen." Clare said honestly.

"_Oh don't be such a suck up, Clare." _Clare jumped a little when she heard Eli's voice. She had forgotten that he was sitting on the ground next to her chair.

"Seriously? It's like pretty inside? From the outside it looks like… I don't know, disgusting." Jenna wrinkled her nose.

Clare had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes at Jenna. "No, it's not digusting."

"Well, is it really haunted? Like people say there is this evil spirit that haunts it." Jenna arched an eyebrow.

Clare smirked. "No there is no _evil_ spirit."

Clare wasn't lying. There was no evil spirit. Eli Goldsworthy was the farthest thing from evil.

"Really, because I heard that kid, whose family owned the house, haunts it. What was his name? Ernie, Elliot, Edward…" Jenna scratched that back of her head while she thought

"Don't hurt yourself." Clare mumbled. Drew and K.C. snickered and Alli smirked at Clare's comment. "His name was Elijah." Clare finally said after a few moments of watching Jenna struggle to remember the name.

"Yeah that's it! Elijah." Jenna smiled.

Drew took a sip of his soda and then placed the cup on the table. "I heard the kid was suicidal or something. He had issues."

Clare stiffened in her seat and glanced down at Eli, who had also stiffened his posture.

K.C. nodded his head. "I heard that too. They don't know exactly what happened. But from what my grandfather told me, the kid was pretty messed."

"What do you mean?" Drew asked.

"Well, my Grandpa Tyler, he knew that Goldsworthy kid. He said that he was really weird and freaky. He wore all black and wrote in a notebook all day. He said that Elijah tried to kiss his sister, against her will."

Drew tightened an arm around Alli. "Wow, what a creep." He said.

Clare cleared her throat. "Well, I don't think he was that bad."

Jenna snickered. "I don't know, from the sounds of it I would watch my back Clare. That Edward kid might try to rape you."

"_That fucking-"_

"Um, well thanks for lunch. It was fun. See you guys around." Clare stood up from the table quickly and placed her bag on her shoulder. K.C. stood up.

"What me to walk with you back to school?" He asked.

Clare shook her head. "No that's okay. Thanks for paying for me." Clare waved and walked quickly to the front door and out into the street.

Clare looked to her side to make sure Eli was with her. He was walking next to her, his arms were at his sides and his hands were curled into tight fists. Clare stayed silent and decided to let Eli calm down a bit. What Jenna had said really upset him, he could tell. She knew he would never do anything like that.

"Well I was right." Clare heard Eli say. He voice was low and soft.

"About what?" Clare asked.

"K.C. being related to Tyler. Did you hear him he said _Grandpa_ Tyler." Eli's fists tightened again.

"Oh yeah I did hear that." Clare whispered.

"I didn't try to kiss Julia, and or force myself on her. If you're thinking about what K.C. said…" Eli looked at Clare.

Clare looked at him. "I know that! I would never- I know you wouldn't do something like that Eli."

"Good. That…Jenna girl, she got to me…I guess." Eli's fits loosened and his shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I'm sorry you had you hear that Eli. If I know they were going to be talking about you…I wouldn't have gone." Clare said.

"It's not your fault Clare. It's okay. I'm used to people talking about me, spreading rumors. Just when she said that thing about me…hurting you…" Eli let out a small growl.

"You would never do that to me, and I know it's not just because you actually can't touch me. I know you care about me, a lot." Clare looked down at Eli's hands that were stuffed in his pockets. Clare wished she could hold them in hers.

"I do Clare. I care about you…so much." Eli said. His voice sent a shiver down Clare's spine. His voice was full of an emotion that Clare couldn't figure out.

"And I can about you, Eli." She said. She looked up at Eli's eyes. His emerald ones burned into her blue ones. That same emotion that his voice held clouded around his eyes. Clare bit her lip when she finally realized what emotion it was. It was love. He _loved_ her.

.

.

.

Eli and Clare didn't talk that much the rest of the day. Eli decided to let Clare concentrate on her school work. He still followed her around and sat in on all her classes, but he didn't talk. He simply watched her and her surroundings.

As Eli watched her work on his school work, he began to notice little things about her. Like when she would start to get bored in class, she would absentmindedly start tapping her foot against the chair in front of her. Or when she was trying to figure out a question, she would bit her bottom lip. Which Eli found extremely attractive.

He tried his best not to fall for Clare. But the girl made it so damn hard. She was pretty, and funny and caring. Eli thought back to what she had told him the other night. About how people used to pick on her. Looking at the Clare Edwards that was sitting in front of him, Eli couldn't believe _anyone_ would pick on someone as beautiful as Clare.

He never knew a person who was such a good listener. Felicity, she listened to him and cared for him, but she was always busy. So she was never always there when he needed her. But Clare, he felt as though he could talk to her about anything. Now that she knew about the night he died, he felt as though a bunch a weight had been lifted off his chest. Clare was his friend, his secret keep, his own little therapist.

In Eli's eyes, Clare Edwards was perfect.


	18. Chapter 18 : The Fathers

Clare pushed the heavy maple front door open and walked into Goldsworthy Manor. Eli walked behind her, his hands in his pockets and his eyes focused on his black Converse shoes.

Clare had a gut feeling that Eli was still upset about what had happened at lunch. During her classes she would quickly glance at Eli. His face was unreadable and unemotional and he wouldn't look her in the eyes.

She walked into the kitchen and hung her keys up on the key rack. She slipped off her jean jacket and placed it on the counter, along with her back pack. Clare opened the refrigerator and pulled out a water bottle. She opened it and took a sip as she watched Eli float into the kitchen, his face as unreadable as it was at school. Clare twisted the top back onto the top bottle and set it down on the counter, next to her jacket.

"Eli… are you okay?" Clare asked. She hopped onto the counter and picked her water bottle back up and placed it on her lap.

Eli was silent for a moment; he bit his bottom lip but eventually nodded his head.

"I'm fine, Clare. Just thinking." Eli said.

Clare nodded her head and took another sip of his water. Eli looked around the kitchen. His eyes landing on the pots and pans that hung above the stainless steel oven. He pointed to a bright red pot and smirked.

"This one time when I was helping Martha with dinner, I accidently knocked over that pot, and water spilled all over the kitchen. Martha slipped and pulled me down with her. I was pretty funny. We just sort of sat there and pushed the water around with our hands for a little bit. That was until my dad came home a flipped out on me." The smirk on Eli's face faded. "Martha tried to tell him that the water was all her fault. He told her to stop covering up for the _useless son of bitch _all the time."

"Was he always that way? I mean was he always so _cold_?" Clare looked up at Eli while she twisted the top of her water bottle on and off.

Eli sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "The truth is…he wasn't. When I was younger, he was the greatest, my best friend. I don't know what happened to him over time. I guess he just became greedy, and self centered and just so…horrible. Of course the public didn't know _that_ side of Charles Goldsworthy. They knew the smart, successful, and wealthy Charles Goldsworthy. The man who single handedly created the biggest law-firm in all the country. They didn't know the Charles Goldsworthy I knew, or my brothers and sisters…or my mom."

"You said he was your best friend when you were younger…"

Eli nodded his head and moved closer to Clare. He hopped on the island and sat directly across from Clare, who was still sitting on the counter.

"I was never good at making friends. And well from what you read in the journal, you know I was still not good at making friends, even when I was older. Well my dad…he was best friend. We used to do everything together. He taught me how to through a baseball, how to ride a bike…everything." Eli said.

"_Hey dad?" Six year old Eli dragged his feet into the dinning room, where his father was currently reading the newspaper and slipping on a cup of coffee._

_Charles moved the newspaper down and looked at his youngest son. "What is it, buddy?" _

_Eli sat down in the chair next to him. "I'm bored. Mommy woke me up at seven because I have to get a hair cut at nine. Well it's nine thirty and mom is still talking on the phone to her friend." _

_Charles ran his hand through Eli's hair. "I don't think you need a hair cut."_

"_I know, that's what I said. But mom said I have to look my best for the Christmas party tomorrow." Eli sighed and pulled at his blue t-shirt. _

_Charles folded the newspaper and set in back down on the table. "Well I guess I'll just have to cut your hair."_

_Eli's eyes widened. "Dad…do you even know how to cut hair?" _

_Charles shook his head. "No I have no clue. But Elijah, I'm the best lawyer in the area, I've won almost every case I've ever been apart of. I think I can handle cutting a 6 year old's hair."_

_Eli furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arm a cross his chest. "I'm 6 and a half." He mumbled. _

_Charles smiled down at his son. "I'm sorry, 6 _and a half year old."

_Eli smiled back at him. "Thank you." He said._

_Charles clapped his hands together. "So… hair cutting time?" _

_Eli bit his bottom lip and stayed silent._

"_How about I just drive you to the barber shop?" Charles asked._

_Eli nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yes, yes drive me to the barber shop."_

_Charles smirked and stood up from his chair he walked over to Eli and turned around. He patted his back, motioning for Eli to jump onto it. Eli stood up in his chair and wrapped his arms and legs around his father neck and waist. Charles walked out of the dining room and into the hall way._

"_It's not that I don't think you would do a good job at cutting my hair, I just think the people at the barber shop could use some customers." Eli said, resting his chin on his father shoulder._

_Charles chuckled. "Whatever you say Elijah."_

_When he reached the foot of the grand stair case, Charles set Eli down and yelled to his wife._

"_Melinda! I'm taking Elijah to the barber's shop. We'll be home soon."_

_Eli pulled on his father shirt, Charles looked down at him._

"_I bet you five bucks I can beat you to the car." Eli said._

_Charles extended his hand "You're on."_

_As Eli went to grab his hand, Charles quickly opened the door and darted towards the car._

_Eli ran after him laughing "Hey that's-that's not fair dad!"_

Eli intertwined his fingers and clicked his tongue. He once again looked around the large kitchen. This time his eyes fell on the picture Clare drew of her family.

"What was your dad like?' He asked. His attention focused back onto Clare.

"Um, my dad? Well he was great. He was really smart. He was a writer, so he was always making up stories, mostly fairy tales. He and I would dress up and act out plays that we wrote together, for my mom. He was just…a good guy." Clare said.

Clare nervously played with the cap to the water bottle. Her hands shook and she chewed on her lip.

"Do you want to say something Clare? Because if you do, just say it." Eli leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs, resting his head in his hands.

Clare gulped and then spoke. "I've kind of been wanting to ask you this for a while…"

"Then ask me."

"Have you ever…seen my dad? Randall Edwards…do you know if his is a…" Clare trailed off but her eyes skimmed Eli's body.

"Do I now if he is a ghost?" Eli asked.

Clare nodded her head.

"No…I've never seen him."

Clare nodded her head okay but Eli could see a small amount of disappointment flash in her eyes.

"But Clare, you wouldn't want him to be like this." Eli motioned to himself. "You would want him to be happy and at peace. Not wandering around the earth trying to figure out why he's here. You don't want him to be like me. You want him to be happy."

"You're not happy?" Clare asked.

"I haven't been happy for nearly half a century, Clare. But you've made me happier than I have been in a _very _long time. So right now, right now I'm happy. I'm happy I have you Clare." Eli said.

Clare blushed slightly and took another sip of her water. Clare pulled the bottle away from her mouth and swallowed the water.

"Would you be mad if I asked you a question about being a ghost?" Clare asked.

Eli shook her head. "No I don't mind."

"What do you miss most about being a human?"

Eli sat up straight and rubbed his chin. "I miss my sense of touch, and my sense of smell, and my sense of taste. I wish I could still hold things. I wish I could still feel things. Being a ghost is so different than being a human. I miss _everything_ about being human."

A silence fell between them. Clare drank her water and Eli continued to look around the kitchen, small memories flashing through his head.

"Do you want to meet Felicity?" Eli asked out of nowhere.

Clare quirked her eyebrow. "When you mean _meet_ do you mean…"

"Well you don't have to actually meet her but you could see who she is, what she looks like." Eli answered.

Clare smiled and nodded her head. "I would love to, Eli."

Eli smiled back. "Okay. Well tomorrow is Saturday, and Felicity usually goes to the park and walks around for a while. If you're not busy tomorrow…"

"Nope, my mom is going to a meeting with the adoption agency, so I'm free tomorrow." Clare jumped off the counter and threw her empty water bottle into the garbage can.

Eli jumped off the island and walked behind her "Okay cool. So it's a date!" Eli smiled. 

Clare turned around and her eyes shot up and looked at his.

"I-I mean, It's not a date, it's an um, uh…it's a plan." Eli stuttered as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

Clare nodded her head and giggled. "It's a _plan_" she repeated.


	19. Chapter 19 : Felicity Jacobs

"_Clare." _Helen called from the bottom of the stairs as she pulled on her jacket. Clare walked down the hallway and stopped at the top of the stairs.

"Yeah, mom?" Clare asked.

"I'm going to the meeting with the adoption company. I'm not sure how long it's going to take, but I left some money on the kitchen counter incase you want to order pizza or something for lunch. Or you can cook something; just try not to burn the house down." Helen smiled up at her daughter as she slid her purse onto her right shoulder.

Clare let out a sarcastic laugh and smiled down at her mother. "I promise not to burn the house down, mom. Good luck at the interview, I love you."

Helen blew Clare a kiss and waved as she opened the door. "I love you too." She slipped out of the door and shut it behind her.

Clare walked back to her room and looked at the clock. It read 11:45. Eli was coming over at noon at bring her to the park. She only had 15 minuets to get ready for their _plan date thing_. A small blush spread a cross Clare face when she though about how nervous Eli seemed when he was talking to her.

He liked her. She could tell. It was something about the way he spoke to her, the way he looked at her, that made it obvious to her he did.

Clare took out a pair of dark blue jeans and a light brown long sleeve out from her closet. She took off her pajamas and pulled the clothes on. Clare sat down at her vanity and took the elastic band out of her hair. Her red curls fell down and framed her face. Clare ran her fingers through her hair, separating some curls that were knotted together.

Clare looked down at the surface of her vanity desk. She bit her bottom lip as she contemplated on what makeup to wear. She picked up a tube of pink lip gloss and looked to over. She shook her head and put it down. She next pick up a brown eyeliner pencil and opened the cap. It made a loud popping when she opened it.

"I told you before; you look pretty without make up. You don't need it."

Clare jumped, like she always did when Eli snuck up behind her. She looked from her hands and into the mirror. She saw the faint reflection of Eli's body. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and a small smiled was spread across his face.

"I told you before, I hate when you sneak up on me like that." Clare mocked, sticking out her tongue.

Eli smirked and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Clare." he laughed. "But I'm serious. We're only going to the park. You don't need makeup on to go to the park."

Clare rolled the pencil between her thumb and middle finger. "Yes the _park_, which is in public. I don't want random people; I don't know seeing me look like I just rolled out a bed." Clare leaned forward and applied the brown eyeliner under her eyes.

"Fine, don't listen to me Clare Diane." Eli said sarcastically.

Clare smiled and set down the pencil. She reached for the lip gloss she had put down earlier and applied it. She heard Eli let out a small groan.

"Why do girls take so long to get ready?" Eli asked.

Clare arched her eyebrow and took a glance at her clock. "Hey it's your own fault. You're 5 minuets early."

"Fine, fine. Take your time, I'll just wait." Eli said.

Clare dropped the lip gloss tube onto the vanity desk and stood up. "I'm ready, you impatient little ghost." Clare laughed.

Eli let out an exaggerated sigh. "Well, finally. Oh, you might want to grab a coat. I heard its cold out."

Clare nodded her head and picked up her black sweater that was hanging from her closet door knob. She slipped it on and zipped it up. "Well…" Clare motioned towards her open bed room door. "Lead the way Mr. Goldsworthy."

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.

.

The cold autumn wind made Clare's hair blow around. Her cheeks slowly turn red from the cold air. Eli and she walked side by side, making their way to Empireville Park. Eli pointed out a few things from his past along the way. He showed her the bookstore he always went to and his and Felicity's favorite restaurant that, to Clare surprise, was still up and running.

"So where do you go at night? Like, after you leave Goldsworthy Manor?" Clare asked.

"Usually, I just walk around. Visit places I used to go to when I was younger." He said. "Sometimes I go to Felicity's and just hang out there."

"Have you ever left Empireville? I mean you're a ghost, you can just go anywhere you want, right?" Clare asked. She pulled her sweater closer to her body.

"I've never left Empireville. I just… can't. I don't know why, I've thought about it before. But I couldn't bring myself to leave." Eli explained.

Clare nodded her head.

Eli lifted his right hand and pointed to a metal arch that had the words _**Empireville Park**_ on it. "There the park." He said. The two of them cross the street and walked through the arch way and into the park.

A few teen aged couples walked around the path holding hands, whispering cute words into each others ears. Groups of families sat on picnic blankets and shared food with each other. It seemed as though everyone there was with somebody else. For a moment Clare felt kind of awkward. She was the only one who could see Eli; therefore everyone else must have thought she was some girl who had no friends.

"She's right there." Eli pointed in the direction of an older lady who was holding a camera up to her eye. Clare watched as she pressed the top bottom of the camera and took a picture of a bird that was perched on a tree branch.

Felicity had long gray hair that was pulled together with an elastic band. She wore a long wool coat and a beige purse hung from her shoulder. She was skinny and from what Clare could see, her cheeks were slightly pink from the harsh wind hitting against them.

Clare and Eli continued to walk down the path, coming closer and closer to Felicity. Clare didn't notice a rock that was on the ground, right in her walk way. She stepped on it and twisted her ankle. She fell to the ground. Clare put her hands out in front of her, in an attempt to catch herself, but she failed. Her hands scrapped across the gravel of the pathway. Clare let out a small hiss as her knees hit the ground.

"Clare!" Eli gasped. He fell down next to her and looked over her hands.

"I'm fine, just a little blood." Clare forced a smile up at Eli.

"Sweetie?" Clare heard a voice say from a few feet away. Clare looked up and saw Felicity walking towards her with a worried look on her face. When Felicity reached Clare she kneeled down next to her. She grabbed Clare's hands and looked at the scraps. She then reached into her bag and pulled out a water bottle.

"You don't mind if I clean your hands, do you?" She asked. Clare shook her head no. Felicity told her to cup her hands, Clare did. Felicity then opened the bottle and poured some water into her cupped hands. The water cleaned the dirt and blood out of the scraps. The water trickled down through Clare's fingers and fell onto the path beneath them. Felicity set down the water bottle and pulled out a paper napkin.

"Here, press this on your scraps. It will stop the bleeding." Felicity said. She smiled at Clare. Tiny wrinkles formed in the corner of her eyes, which Clare realized were the same exact color green as Eli's.

"Thank you so much. I-I'm really clumsy." Clare laughed.

Felicity helped Clare stand back up. "No problem. I'm a grandma; I'm used to cuts and bruises." She looked around quickly and then looked back at Clare. "Are you here all by yourself?"

Clare shook her head yes. Technically she was there with Eli, but she couldn't tell her that. "I just came out for a walk. To get some fresh air."

"Ah, I love fresh air. Oh by the way, I'm Felicity Jacobs." She patted Clare's shoulder. "I would normally shake your hand, but I think that's out of the question."

Clare politely laughed. "I'm Clare Edwards."

"Well Clare Edwards, I came here today with my granddaughter. We were going to go get some hot chocolate right now. I think I have some Band-Aids in my car, if you would like to come with us I think I could give you a few for your hands." Felicity said.

Clare smiled. "I would love to."

"Alrighty, let me go get my granddaughter and we will be on our way." Felicity turned around and walked down the path towards a young girl. She looked about Clare's age. She was bundled up in a jacket and her hands were stuffed in her pockets. Felicity said something to her and pointed in Clare's direction. The girl nodded her head and picked up her bag that was resting at her feet.

"What's her granddaughter's name Eli?" She asked him.

"Rose. She's been staying at Felicity's house for a few days now. She's pregnant and she and her mother got into a very big fight over it. Felicity is letting her live with her until she gets her life back in control." Eli answered.

"That poor girl." Clare sighed.

Clare heard Eli chuckle lightly. "What?" She asked him furrowing her eyebrows.

"You are in for it Edwards. Felicity and Rose will talk your ear off." Eli smirked.

"I put up with one Goldsworthy; I think I can handle two more." Clare said flashing him a toothy grin.

"Touché."


	20. Chapter 20 : Regret

Felicity led Clare to her car, which was parked down the street from the park. Felicity opened the back door of the car and pulled out a first aid kit. She set in on the top of the car and opened it. She pulled out packaged items from the kit and set them on to of the car as well. When she found what she was looking for, she smiled and turned around to face Clare. Clare stood behind her with Rose standing next to her.

Felicity waved a package that read "_bandages_" back and forth. "Luckily I still have some left. All my grandchildren seem to be clumsy." She laughed and flashed a small smile towards Rose, who in return smirked.

Clare opened her hands, palm upwards, and walked forward towards Felicity. Felicity tore off the wrapping of the bandage. To Clare's surprise, it was a long white bandage, not the small tan ones she was expecting. Felicity ripped the bandage into two pieces and then wrapped Clare's right hand with half of it.

"Rosie, could you get me a piece of medial tape?" Felicity asked pointing to the roll of tape that rested on the top of the car. Rose nodded her head and reached for the tape. She ripped a piece of tape off and handed it the Felicity. Felicity then tapped the bandage down and moved on to wrap Clare's other hand with the bandage.

When she finish Felicity cleaned off the top of the car and put the contents back into the first aid kit tin. She tossed the tin into the car and placed her bag and camera next to it. She pulled her wallet out from the bag and shut the door.

"You two ready for some hot chocolate and muffins?" She asked. The two girls nodded their heads and smiled.

.

.

.

The café that Felicity led Clare to was the same café Eli had pointed out to her earlier. It was small and warm. The walls were painted a dark maroon color and the tables and chairs were made of dark maple. There were only a few people in there at the moment. A young man sat in the corner of the café with a book in his hand and a coffee cup resting on the table. A teenage couple held hands across the table as they talked and laughed. Next to the teenagers was an older couple. The woman was ripping a bagel into small pieces and placing them in front of a small child that was sitting on the man's lap. The child would pick up a piece of the bagel and pop it into her mouth, then pick up another piece and feed it to her father.

The child reminded her of her mother. She wondered how the meeting with the adoption agency was going. She hoped it was going well, she_ prayed_ it was going well. Her thoughts were cut short when she heard Felicity ask her what kind of muffin she wanted. She hadn't been paying attention so she panicked. She quickly scanned the row of muffins that were placed in a glass case in front of the register.

"_Pick the Double Chocolate Chunk one, they're awesome." _Eli said from behind her

Clare had almost forgotten that Eli was with her. She told Felicity that she wanted the Double Chocolate Chunk one then walked over to Rose who was waiting of their hot chocolates.

After Felicity paid for the muffins and hot chocolates, the three of them walked over to a corner of the café and sat down.

"Thank you again, for everything. You really didn't have to…" Clare said as she wrapped her hands around her cup, warming up her freezing fingers.

Felicity took a sip of her hot chocolate and set it down. She reached across the small table and patted Clare's wrist. "It's know big deal, sweetie."

Clare smiled and nodded her head. She ripped off a piece off the muffin that was in front of her and placed it in her mouth. The chocolate chips melted on her tongue. Clare closed her eyes and enjoyed the chocolately taste of the muffin.

_Note to self: Thank Eli for the amazing muffin choice _Clare thought.

"So Clare, did you just move here? Because I've never seen you around before." Rose asked.

Clare nodded her head. "Yes actually, my mom and I just moved here. We uh, we moved into Goldsworthy Manor." Clare quickly took a glance at Felicity to see what her reaction would be. She didn't seem fazed by the new information.

Felicity smiled. "You know before I was a Jacobs, I was a Goldsworthy." She said.

Clare acted surprised "Really? You mean you lived there, Goldsworthy Manor?"

Felicity nodded her head. "Indeed, my parents, my brothers and sister and I, we all lived there, so some time. About 17 years I think."

"It's a really beautiful house. It's so big, I haven't even been in all the rooms yet and we moved it about a week and a half ago!" Clare laughed.

"It is rather big; I haven't been there in so long…What room did you pick to be your bedroom?" Felicity asked; bring her cup back up to her lips and taking a sip.

Clare bit her lip. She didn't know if she should tell her that she picked Eli's old room. She didn't know how sore of a subject Eli's death was, and she didn't want to make her upset.

"_You don't have to be afraid to talk to her about me, Clare. Felicity's a strong person." _Eli said to her. He gave her a small smile. Clare gave him a small, quick smile back, making sure neither Rose nor Felicity saw her. She didn't know how Eli knew what she was thinking, but she was grateful for his advice none the less.

"The room all the way at the end of the hallway, on the right." Clare said.

Felicity smiled. "That room is the smallest one in the house; you didn't want a bigger one?"

Clare shifted in her seat. "Well, the other rooms are nice and all, but that one, it just I don't know spoke to me. I know that sounds cheesy and cliché, but it's true. The first time I saw it, I knew it was going to be my room. It just had the welcoming feeling that just pulled me in. It's small, but inviting."

Felicity shook her head and laughed.

Clare looked down and blushed. "I-I tend to ramble on sometimes."

Felicity reached across the table and placed her hand on Clare's "Oh sweetie, I wasn't laughing about that it's just…" Felicity paused for a moment, bringing her hand back over to her side of the table. "You sounded exactly like my younger brother just then. He loved his room, it was the only place he felt safe. I'm glad it makes you happy too."

Clare bit her lip again; she ran her fingertip around the rim of the cup. "I-I found something, in the room. I think you might what to see it. It's a journal."

"_Clare!"_

Clare jumped in her seat. She didn't expect Eli to yell at her like that. She glanced over at Eli, who was standing next to her. He looked scared and worried.

"A-a journal?" Felicity asked. She leaned forward in her seat, her fore arms resting on the table.

Clare nodded her head. "Yes, it was Elijah's…"

Felicity stared at her moment, taking it what she just told her.

"I could give it you, if you want. You could read it." Clare said.

"_No! Clare, I- God damn." _Eli said, He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled at the roots.

"Maybe, I don't know if I could…handle it. But maybe sometime. Keep good care of it, okay? Don't let anyone, take it." Felicity said.

Clare nodded her head. "Never."

The small bell on the door of the café rang, signaling the entrance of another customer. Clare looked at the door to see who had walked in. To her surprise, it was her mother.

"Mom." Clare said waving in the direction of her mother. Helen looked up from her phone that was in her hands and looked in the direction of Clare's voice. When she saw her she smiled and shoved her phone into her pocket. She walked over to the table.

"Hey there honey and…" Helen trailed off, looking at the other two girls at the table.

Felicity stood up at offered Helen a hand to shake. "Felicity Jacobs" Helen shook her hand and smiled. "Helen Edwards" She replied.

Rose gave Helen a small wave. "I'm Rose."

Helen gave to a small nod. "It's nice to meet you both."

"I uh went for a walk in the park, and being as graceful as I usually am, I fell and bruised my hands. Felicity and Rose were nice enough to clean me up and buy me something to eat and drink." Clare explained to her mother.

Helen placed her hands on Clare's shoulders and gave them a small squeeze. "Well that you to so much. Really, I appreciate it; Clare here can be a handful sometimes."

"Oh I was nothing." Felicity replied.

"And Clare, good news. The adoption agency accepted me!" Helen looked down at her daughter, a smile spread across her face.

Clare looked up smiled back. "That's amazing mom!"

Felicity moved her coat over and patted the seat next to her. "Come, sit down."

"Okay." Helen took off her jacket and sat down next to Felicity.

"So Clare just told me that the two of you moved into my old house." Felicity smiled.

"_You're _Felicity Goldsworthy. Oh my, I saw one of your waterfall photos in a magazine once, and I fell in _love_ with your work." Helen gushed.

Rose leaned over the table and whispered into Clare's ear "Oh God, this is a start of a very _long_ night."

Clare giggled and took another sip of her hot chocolate.

.

.

.

When Clare and Helen finally got home from the café, Clare ran up to her room and shut the door behind her. Eli walked through the door after her, he looked slightly upset.

"Are you okay, I-I'm sorry that I told Felicity about your journal, I didn't know that you didn't want her to know about it." Clare mumbled hopelessly.

Eli shook his head. "It's okay Clare, its fine. There are just some things in there that…well that I regret ever writing."

Clare picked up the leather book from her nightstand and ran her fingers down the cover. "What do you mean?"

"I- I was just angry one day, and I wrote some stuff about Felicity, that I didn't mean." Eli whispered.

Clare opened the notebook and flipped through the pages, wondering what page the words of hate were on.

"It's the May 12th 1955 entry, if you want to read it."


	21. Chapter 21 : The Reason

Clare took a deep breath. "I don't have to read it, if you don't want me to." She said.

"Do you want to read it?" Eli asked.

"Yes."

"Then read it."

_May 12__th__, 1955_

_She's leaving me. I saw the letter in the mail. She's leaving me for __**him**__. Her boyfriend, Josh. He lives in New York. And she's going to some photography school there, to be with him. Her acceptance letter came in the mail today and I saw it on the kitchen table. I picked it up and she tried to take it away from me. But I read the whole thing before she got the chance to. It said that she was accepted for the fall semester and that she should call quickly if she wanted a dorm. "You're just going to take off, just like that. You said you wouldn't Felicity. You said you'd stay with me until I was old enough to move out and live on my own. You can't leave me here with them. With mom and dad. " I said. She didn't say anything. So I left the room. I hate her. I hate her. I hate her so much. She's a liar and I can't stand her. I hope she dies or something when she's having fun with Josh in New York. Good riddance. _

Clare finished reading the entry and looked up at Eli. She couldn't believe what she just read. She knew Eli didn't mean what he wrote. He loved Felicity more than anyone. He was just confused, scared. Her eyes met Eli's.

"I didn't mean what I wrote." Eli said.

"I never thought you did." Clare responded.

"I was just so nervous, and pissed off and I had all these emotions running around in my head that…I just freaked out. That's why I don't what Felicity to read my journal. I don't want her to think I meant those things. I don't want her to think that I wished she was dead." Eli began to pace back and forth across Clare's room. His hands were intertwined together behind his back.

"I don't think Felicity will think that Eli. She probably will realize that you weren't thinking straight. And anyways she said she didn't want to read it, so know worries." Clare placed the book down onto her night stand. She stood up and walked over to her closet and opened it. She took out a sweater and pulled it on.

"She actually said that she wasn't read. So there still is the possibly that she might want to read it sometime in the future." Eli rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"Well if the time comes when she wants to read it, we'll just have to see what she thinks." Clare pushed her clothes that were in her closet to the side. She traced the outline of the entrance of the secret room with her finger. "Did anyone else ever go down here?" She asked Eli. "I mean anyone besides me?" She corrected herself.

Eli moved his hands away from his eyes and saw that she was standing in front of the closet. "Felicity did. She kept a bunch of papers and files concerning my death down there. I think she has a box hidden in one of the floor boards." He said,

"Why would she keep that hidden?" Clare asked. Clare leaned against the wood in the back of the closet, making it slowly open up.

"Probably because most of the papers had theories written on them about my father being the cause of my murder." Eli said. "Felicity always thought my dad had something to do with my death. She could just never put the pieces together. Which I don't blame her, I mean I never expected my dad and Tyler to be in cahoots. So if I were her I wouldn't know where to start."

Clare nodded her head and pushed the door all the way open. She reached over to the side of her closet and grabbed a flashlight that she had hung on the wall.

"Why are you going down there?" Eli asked. He walked forward towards the closet.

"I just want to see what Felicity kept down here. She might have found something that could help us figure out a way to make cross over." Clare answered. She turned on the flashlight and proceeded down the narrow steps. Eli sighed and followed Clare down the stairs.

When she reached the bottom, Clare walked over to the lap and turned it on. The lap illuminated the small room. She set the flashlight down onto the desk and dropped down to the floor. She ran her hand over the wooden floor. She knocked on it on panel a few times and then moved onto the next one and did the same thing.

Eli furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you doing?" He chuckled lightly.

Clare looked up at him. "You said you think she kept the papers in on of the floor boards. I'm trying to see in any of them are hallow."

Eli pointed to the right back corner of the room. "I think it's under one of those panels over there." He said.

Clare turned around and crawled the short distance to the right corner of the room. She knocked on a few panels until she heard a small echo from underneath on of the wood panels. She smiled. "I found it." She said. Clare picked at the corner of the panel until she was able to pull it out of the ground. She reached into the hole and pulled out a box. She placed it on the ground and then covered the hole back up with the woo panel.

Eli walked over to her and bent down. He watched as she opened the box and pulled out papers. Some were handwritten notes and others were newspaper articles. Most of the articles were the same ones that her mother kept in her manila folder.

"I guess you're right. Felicity did suspect that your dad was the reason for your death. She has so many theories." Clare pointed to the yellowing paper that rested next to her leg. "Some of them make absolutely no sense." Clare picked up a paper and read it over. "It says that she interviewed some of your dad's employees, in an attempt to find out if they had anything to do with it." She bit her lip. "Why didn't you just tell Felicity yourself how you died? Well, after you figured out that you could talk to people."

"I don't know really. I guess I just went so long without talking to her, that I didn't want to start again. I didn't want to ruin her life." He answered.

"How would knowing what happened to her brother ruin Felicity's life?" Clare questioned.

"It wouldn't! But me…me talking to her would. I guess." He said.

Clare nodded her head.

Eli scratched the back of his neck. "If she only knew about Tyler…she would be able to figure everything out on her own. She would be able to prove he had something to do with it. He and my dad would be in jail."

Clare looked up from the paper her eyes wide and her lips form an "O."

"Clare? Are you okay? I mean I would say you look as though you just say a ghost…but I'm pretty sure you're used to it by now." Eli chuckled.

Clare ignored his statement and looked back down at the paper and then back up at Eli. "Do you think that's the reason why you're a ghost?" Clare asked.

"What reason are you talking about?" Eli asked.

"No one knows who killed you Therefore no one has been blamed for your death. It's still a cold case. Maybe…maybe that's the reason why you haven't crossed over yet. Maybe your still here because you have to help someone close your case .Maybe that someone is me." Clare said.

Eli looked at her with wide eyes. "You might be right."

.

.

.

Clare collected all the papers and put them back into the box. She brought the box upstairs and set it on her bed. She pulled the wood wall back into place and went back over to her bed. She sat down and then collapsed onto her bed, her head bounced as it hit the mattress. She closed her eyes and tried to take in everything that just happened down stairs.

"So what are we gonna do?" Eli asked. She was standing a few feet away from Clare's bed, his hands stuffed into his pocket.

Clare opened her eyes. "Well…" She said looking up at her ceiling. "Were going to have to find Tyler, and convince him to tell the truth."

"And how the hell do you expect to convince him. He's just not going to come out and tell the world he killed me because some 15 year old girl told him to." Eli said.

Clare sat up and looked at Eli. "That's why I'm going to need your help." She said.

"My help? What can _I_ do?" Eli asked.

"I was thinking that you could show him…you." Clare said.

"What? Are you saying that you want me to reveal myself to him? My enemy? My killer? Are you crazy Clare?" Eli asked, his voice becoming louder and louder.

"No, I'm not crazy. I'm serious. If he sees what happened to you, what you became. Maybe he'll want to help. Maybe he'll feel guilty" She said.

"I don't think that's going to work Clare." Eli said.

"Well if worst comes to worst you could always scare him. You know, freak him out a little bit. Throw something at him perhaps." Clare suggested.

"I can't just throw something at him." Eli walked over to Clare's vanity and tried to pick up her lip gloss, but his hand went right through it. "I can't pick stuff up."

"Then-then how did you throw stuff those kids, the ones who came into your house. And how were you holding your notebook the first time I met you?" Clare asked.

"I'm not completely sure, but I think sometimes when I'm really pissed. I can move things, like without touching them. They just move by themselves. It happened that time the kids came into the house. I was so pissed off that someone thought it would be okay to trespass into my house. All I remember to looking at them and the next thing I knew a candle flew out of nowhere and hit them." Eli looked back over at Clare who smiled at him.

"Well if I need to, I'll just piss you off so you can beat up Tyler with your magical object throwing powers." Clare giggled.

Eli laughed and shook his head. "Tyler's old now, I don't think he would put up that much of a fight."

"So will you do it? Will you show Tyler what you are?" Clare asked.

Eli hesitated at first but then nodded his yes.

**I hope this chapter answers some people's questions :)**


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